robotic desk lamp (2007)
design and implementation of robotic desk lamp; plated aluminum, acrylic, and stainless steel.
gold prize, ieee international robot design competition 2007, jeju, korea.
the robotic desk lamp serves as a non-anthropomorphic collaborative robotic platform used as part of my ph.d thesis on human-robot fluency and collaboration. the theories presented in my dissertation work were evaluated in a number of human-subject studies using simulation as well as physical interaction.
the lamp's design was conceived around an exising 5-DoF robotic arm, and is aimed to evoke a personal relationship with the human partner without resorting to human-like features. by retaining the lamp's "objectness", i hope to explore the relationship that can be maintained through abstract gestures and nonverbal behavior alone.
the lamp is animated using a custom pipeline enabling the dynamic control of behaviors authored in a 3d animation system.
also: project site concept video maiden run video mechanical assembly + maiden run