Tweenbots: Robots Powered by Helpful New Yorkers

Over the weekend we mentioned the adorable Tweenbots project briefly, but those little guys really deserve their own post. A little background: NYU student Kacie Kinzer built the not-so-high-tech bots to see if they could make it from one side of Washington Square Park to the other, with the help of New Yorkers. She explains: "Tweenbots are human-dependent robots that navigate the city with the help of pedestrians they encounter. Rolling at a constant speed, in a straight line, Tweenbots have a destination displayed on a flag, and rely on people they meet to read this flag and to aim them in the right direction to reach their goal."

The NY Post takes a look at the project today, saying that Kinzer was shocked to find so many helpful locals (29 all in all)—but perhaps more surprising, during the 42 minute journey, "Never once was a Tweenbot lost or damaged." Perhaps to make this a more controlled study a real person should stand in the middle of the park with a similar sign asking for help to the other side.