FRANKie

The Story Behind FR/ANKie

FR/ANKie (Figurine Robot/Autonomous Navigating Kid) is designed child-sized specifically to engender a protective emotional response in participants; his over-sized noggin and short limbs carry no threat of the alien or cold industrialisation. Going through body prototypes, our first concern was function, but another definite influence was what people expect a robot to look like; we realized that robot design in the future will have to compensate for cultural expectations. But it raised several interesting debates along the way: if a robot truly was sentient and autonomous, would it stay raw metal or plastic, or would a developing sense of aesthetics (or an eventual robotic cultural norm) encourage it to go get a paint job? Would it wear bibbed overalls for the convenience of pockets, or just have a pouch attachment? Would FR/ANKie dream of being a race car rather than a race car driver? Will people be paid to design a company’s signature robot look, much like cars, appliances or sunglasses?

INTRODUCTION

It is our contention that our contemporary culture will soon be faced with a situation which will call for an evaluation of how we define “human,” due to our increasing reliance upon, and interfacing with, our own technology. “Transhumanists” believe that we will reach the “singularity point,” where we will fully merge with our technology as the next step of evolution. There are also incredible developments in robotics, computer programming, cybernetics and consciousness theory that ought to be known, even if only to be debated, in popular culture venues. To such end, we have begun execution of the installation of anthropomorphic robot-sculptures designed to be installed in very human, mundane situations: waiting for a bus; sitting at a café, pub or church. Depending on the environment and intent, each sculpture will be built with varying levels of truly robotic parts. Each one has been conceived with its own metaphor. FR/ANKie is our first installment.

[words by k bear koss]

short FRANKie making of video here