Hackaday reader [Danukeru] sent us a video featuring a box-based robot with an interesting personality. The box is fairly simple and from the outside seems to consist only of a switch and an LED. When the switch is flipped however, the box comes to life.
When the box is activated, the lid opens, and a small arm reaches out to turn the switch off. We’ve seen that plenty of times, but this one turns out to be a little different. In the video, this process seems to repeat a couple dozen times before the robot gets angry and flips out. At first we thought that the end portion of the video was done with a bit of digital trickery, but after reviewing the creator’s blog, it looks like it could be legit. It is very hard to see the box’s innards in the video, but it does house a remote control car chassis that allows it to move around and spin out, as seen below.
It’s a pretty neat project, and if you can handle reading the creator’s site via Google translate, there is plenty of picture documentation of the build process for your perusal.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmQ5LsNMXZ4&w=470]
that is too cool. (if its legit)
The raise of the machines is nigh!
WOW, I don’t think I’ve laughed that hard at a hackaday video before. That is absolute CHAMPION!
I don’t know why I like this so much.
A machine that throws a temper tantrum! Oh wait, is it running Windows?
It’s Claude Shannon’s Ultimate Machine. You could at least mention that in the summary.
Or rise even…..
It’s faces keep changing…..?
I love it, especially how after it flips out and finally shuts down the switch recedes into the box!
Most excellent!!
Well, it may be “raise”, or it may be “rise” – whom shall I trust: the machine translation or my sense of language?
This is the most entertaining thing I have ever seen in quite a while. Keep up the good work.. :)
I think i might build one for all those people that keep asking me about what the thinks on my desk are.
Brilliant spin on the old classic. Love it.
I’m in love :D
That is simply adorable
sweet.
But it looks like the faces are just taped on and the user is changing them, not the machine itself.
the end is the best, personality reminds me Portal robots :)
Been around forever. You can buy that as a kit at the “make” store for the past 3 years.
Answer me this, am I the only one who thinks this simulates the personality of an ex girlfriend? :)
wait… so we’re PROGRAMMING robots to go crazy now? I thought it wasn’t stupposed to happen until a freak lightning storm or a disgruntled R&D military scientist goes crazy…
jongscx: Not only robots, computers too:
http://blogs.forbes.com/alexknapp/2011/05/08/scientists-create-a-schizophrenic-computer/
at first i thought: o crap, not another useless box. but then after half of video it ran away, and i was like: nice!
but in the end it became way too cool!
great work! :-)
Cool,you can pump the robot up enough to turn into a combat robot, Mauler/Blendo/Ziggo style.
Speaking of combat robots – does HAD ever cover them?
Awesome. Proper LOLs.
sneakypoo: The description given in the second-to-last paragraph reminds me of my experiences playing with MegaHAL.
http://megahal.alioth.debian.org/
I’m not very taken with the spinning round and knocking things off the desk, but I LOVE the retracting switch! So much better than a simple timeout :P
My 2 year old in box format.
Nice!
Cool original take on a a classic project.
Cool box, it’s the stopped action in the video that I don’t like.
At first I was like “meh… seen these before” but then I watched the video and as soon as it started driving around on that table I was like “OMG I NEED ONE OF THOSE!”
Hey if anyone wants to get a head start on building one of these, you can start with the useless machine kit from Solarbotics and modify to suite. http://www.solarbotics.com/products/60005/
Angry box O_O Lol.
haha.. nice twist :P
Needs an angry whine noise just before the tantrum.
The retracting switch is genius though.
Whats the deal with the changes faces? Is this just for the video?
Cool, but this one’ll always be my favorite:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2F_BKe-XWo4&w=360&h=270]
haha….epic!
This box is epic and much cooler than the original. Nice work.
@sneakypoo
Interesting program/study. I’d like to see their code.
Angry box is angry!
Does anyone see a link to the code in the thread?
Very cool variation on an otherwise beaten horse.
also doubles as a bureau-cleaner :D
this is amazing
I want one
That was too cool – This belongs on everyones WTF shelf right alongside the 8-ball that blinds you and some sort for button that shoots pepper-spray.
how do you make it