GlowBots are small tangible, communicating and interactive robots that show eye-catching visual patterns on a round LED display. This paper details the development of the GlowBots from the early user-oriented design phase, through hardware and software development and onto preliminary user studies. In the design phase we outlined a robot application based on a study of how owners relate with unusual pets, such as snakes and lizards. This led to an application concept of a set of ”hobby robots” which would communicate with each other and the user through dynamic patterns. Based on these requirements, we developed a LED display called see- Puck, which together with an open robot platform was used for the GlowBots application itself. One particular issue is dealing with energy consumption problems, as resources in embedded systems often limit the potential time for user interaction. We conclude with a report on early user experiences from demonstrating GlowBots and a preliminary user study in a home environment as well as remarks about future directions.

We present an analysis based on user-provided content collected from online blogs and forums about the robotic artifact Pleo. Our primary goal is to explore stories about how human-robot interaction would manifest themselves in actual real-world contexts. To be able to assess these types of communicative media we are using a method based on virtual ethnography that specifically addresses underlying issues in how the data is produced and should be interpreted. Results indicate that generally people are staging, performing and have a playful approach to the interaction. This is further emphasized by the way people communicate their stories through the blogging practice. Finally we argue that these resources are indeed essential for understanding and designing long-term human-robot relationships.

We report on topics raised in encounters with a series of robotics oriented artworks, which to us were interpreted as a general critique to what could be framed as robotic fakelore, or mythology. We do this based on interviews held with artists within the community of ArtBots, and discuss how their approach relates to and contributes to the discourse of HCI. In our analysis we outline a rough overview of issues emerging in the interviews and reflect on the broader questions they may pose to our research community.

This paper concerns the design of physical languages for controlling and programming robotic consumer products. For this purpose we explore basic theories of semiotics represented in the two separate fields of comics and fashion, and how these could be used as resources in the development of new physical languages. Based on these theories, the design concept of actDresses is defined, and supplemented by three example scenarios of how the concept can be used for controlling, programming, and predicting the behaviour of robotic systems.

We present a series of design explorations for controlling autonomous robotic movement based on a metaphor of clothing and accessorising. From working with various sketches, scenarios and prototypes we identify a number of particular features of this form of interaction, as well potential challenges for designers of other systems based on this design concept. Finally we conclude with a few general implications, especially concerning the inert properties of visibility, physicality and modularity with respect to the particular case of interaction and robotic movement.