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208 Socially Intelligent Agents

Children write stories using My PETS. A simple parsing function detects
words that match its list of emotional keys. As My PETS recites the story
(using text-to-speech), and recognizes an emotion, it issues the corresponding
sequence of motion commands to the robot.
PETS supports the reactive and sequencing layers of a multi-tiered archi-
tecture (e.g., [4]). The reactive layer is written in Interactive C for the Handy
Board microcontroller [17]. The sequencing layer, written in RealBasic, is em-
bedded into My Pets, and runs on a Macintosh Powerbook. The two robotic
components communicate with My Pets through custom-built RF transceivers.
The robot contains two distinct components, the “animal” and the “spaceship.”
Both are made from polycarbonate sheets and steel posts. Servomotors on the
animal controls its mouth, neck, and limbs. The spaceship uses two modified
high-torque servomotors to drive independent wheels.
Our current work uses a new version of PETS as a motivational tool for
children with disabilities to complete their physical therapy [22].

5. Our Second Project: Storyrooms And Storykits
The transition from storytelling robots to storytelling environments was in-
fluenced by the limits of robots as actors. Although a physical robot can be
an actor, some story elements are either inconceivable or awkward to express.
While the robot can project sadness or happiness, it might have difficulty sug-
gesting that “it was a dark and stormy night.”
In the summer of 1999, we began work on a technology that would enable
children to construct their own physical interactive environments. The lessons
we learned from PETS, such as sequencing physical events to form abstract
ideas, formed the foundation of this new research focus. We believed that
children can construct their own StoryRooms from using parts inside a StoryKit
[1], and that through interactions within this environment visitors can have a
new kind of storytelling experience.
Using a prototype StoryKit, we built a StoryRoom based on the Dr. Seuss
story, “The Sneetches” [14]. This is a story about the Sneetches that lived
on a beach. Some had stars on their bellies, while others did not. The star-
bellied Sneetches believed they were better than the plain-bellied ones. One
day, Mr. Sylvester McMonkey McBean arrived and advertized that his inven-
tions could put a star on any plain bellies for just three dollars a piece. Of
course, the plain-bellied Sneetches jumped at this opportunity. The previously
“better” Sneetches became upset as there was no way to tell them apart! Not
surprisingly, Mr. McBean had another machine that took stars off too. As the
Sneetches cycle through both machines, one group wanting to be different, the
other wanting to be the same, they squandered all their money. Ultimately they