The latest incarnation of the “My New Robot Companion” project is now on show at Watermans in Kew, London until the 23rd of October.
Normally, robots do not move unless they are performing a task, HARR1 (Humanoid Art Research Robot 1) is designed to fidget and move almost continuously, more like humans do.
Also HARR1 exhibits boredom. If you move around in front of HARR1, it will look at you, but if you stop moving, it will get bored and go back to aimlessly looking around the room.
“My New Robot Companion” is an ongoing collaboration between Alex May and Anna Dumitriu as part of their artistic residency with the computer science department of the University of Hertfordshire, that explores our relationship with robotics, specifically robots in the home. It was funded by the University of Hertfordshire and Arts Council England.