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Blubber Bots are floating DIY robotic species that navigate autonomously and intelligently. Blubber Bots float, dance,
seek and sing. They are light-seeking hellium-filled balloons that graze the landscape in search of light and cellphone sig-
nals. Designed into the inflatable form is a set of light sensors enabling them to seek out the brightest light source.
They are also equipped with a phone flasher and can recognize cellphone activity. You can interact with a Blubber Bot by
making a call and waving your phone near it. In response, it will go into a flocking dance or sing you a special tune.
Social and friendly in nature, Blubber Bots like to play. You can invite other Blubber Bots over for a party to watch a
roomful flock and mingle. They propel themselves using helium buoyancy and two directional motors. They are a little
clumsy though and bump into things. Fortunately, Blubber Bots are born with a feeler (bump switch) to help them out
of tricky situations. At a flick of a “feeler”, they back up and head in a new direction.
Not only do they like to play, but they love to sing. Blubber Bots have a unique voice generated from a vibrating motor
and a small piezo speaker attached to its mylar body. They bellow sounds similar to a whale’s song and serenade you
with melodies. When not being played with, they rest while tooting periodic sounds in their sleep, dreaming until they
once again are awakened.
Blubber Bots are part of a family of “Transitional Species,” a body of networked sculptures that interact with their en-
vironment, people and each other. The Blubber Bots are offspring of the Autonomous Light Air Vessels (ALAVs).
www.alavs.com
INTRODUCTION_
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WHAT IS A BLUBBER BOT?
The Blubber Bot has a set of light sensors (eyes) that direct it to graze the landscape in search of the brightest light
source. In brightly lit environments (during the day), the Blubber Bot is in an excited state: It is active and its blue LED
is constantly on. In darker environments (at night) , the Blubber Bot becomes less active, trolling around more slowly
and blinking its blue LED on and off.
The Blubber Bot is equipped with a feeler (bump switch) that allows it to change directions when encountering an
obstacle i.e. people or one another.
The default state of the Blubber Bot is its rest state with the red LED blinking approximately every 7 seconds. After you
complete assembling your Blubber Bot, you can flick the feeler or use your cellphone to wake it up.
You can interact with the Blubber Bot by making a call with a cellphone, placing the phone near the flasher. When a
Blubber Bot senses mobile phone activity, it begins to dance and sing, spinning counter-clockwise and playing a song.
A second call causes the Blubber Bot to play a melody and flash its red and blue LEDs in rhythm. If you don’t have a
cellphone or the flasher batteries are dead, you can shine a bright light source (i.e. keychain flashlight) at the flasher
(at the end of the shrink tube).
If you don’t interact with the Blubber Bot for approximately 7 minutes, it will go into its rest state. It will remain in its
rest state for 30 minutes and then wake again seeking activity and interaction.
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HOW IT WORKS
Disclaimer of Liability
By using this product you expressly waive any claims, causes of action or liability against Jed Berk that arise from your assembly or use of the product in any manner, and is not liable for any direct
or indirect or consequential damages or losses arising therefrom.
Содержание Transitional Species Blubber Bot
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