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124 Modern Robotics

curiosity, excitement, or boredom. Getting the separate motor
controls to work together smoothly proved to be a daunting pro-
gramming and engineering task.

Emotional States

Kismet’s “emotions” were not just simple indicators of what state
the software decided the robot should be in, based on cues it picked
up from humans. The robot was so carefully “tuned” in its feedback
systems that it established a remarkably natural rhythm of vocaliza-
tion and visual interaction. Kismet reacted to the human, which in
turn elicited further human responses.

PARALLELS: A ROBOTIC GARDEN

Breazeal has created “responsive” robots in new forms and for ven-
ues beyond the laboratory. In 2003, the Cooper-Hewitt National
Design Museum in New York hosted a “cyberfloral installation”
designed by Breazeal. It featured “flowers” of metal and silicone
that exhibit behaviors such as swaying and glowing in bright colors
when a person’s hand comes near. As Breazeal told New York Times
interviewer Claudia Dreifus:

The installation communicates my future vision of robot design that
is intellectually intriguing and remains true to its technological heritage,
but is able to touch us emotionally in the quality of interaction and their
responsiveness to us—more like a dance, rather than pushing buttons.

Such robots can intrigue people of all ages and from all back-
grounds. Installations such as the robotic garden suggest new possi-
bilities for a fusion of art and technology, as can also be found at the
annual Burning Man Festival in the Nevada desert, where artists and
technologists collaborate to create elaborate interactive sculptures
and join in a communal celebration of creativity.