Oops: Pleo Sacrifice Big Mistake
Writing by Evan Ackerman on Friday, 9 of May , 2008 at 12:17 am
The video we took at Maker Faire of a rather graphic encounter between a Ugobe Pleo and a ComBot has made its rounds of the internet, and as you might expect, the response has been somewhat mixed. I have to admit, I can’t really watch it myself, it’s pretty disturbing, especially since it goes on for a long, long time. Pleo is just too cute and friendly for that sort of thing, and I don’t even own one. People who DO own Pleos have been getting seriously upset, and Ugobe has taken notice. I’d like to restate unambiguously for the record that the Pleo in the video was an unsolicited donation by the Ugobe people at Maker Faire, but it now looks like that despite the wave of publicity it provided, Ugobe at large wasn’t particularly pleased with what happened… ugobeSarah posted this response on the PleoWorld Forum:
Hey all,
The folks that were behind this stunt did it without authorization or approval. It seems the prankster spirit overcame them, and FYI, there was quite a ruckus here in the office about it today. Many people were shocked and appalled, including the UGOBE reps at our Maker Faire booth!
We ourselves make emotional bonds with Pleo too!
Thanks for your concern! It is perhaps a small consolation to know that the Pleo destroyed was a factory prototype?
It won’t happen again under our watch!
I’m finding this whole situation pretty fascinating. When it comes right down to it, what’s the difference between the Pleo in the video and the ComBot that destroyed it? They’re both robots that can’t think or feel in the broader sense; they just execute commands based on external stimuli. Sure, Pleo looks cute and all. But more importantly, Pleo is sophisticated enough to get humans to suspend (to some extent) their disbelief in the fact that Pleo is made of servos, circuit boards, and lines and lines of code. We (yes, I’m one of those people) can get emotionally attached to this completely artificial life form and get upset on principle when one of them is needlessly and violently destroyed. It’s not just the emotional attachment, either: it’s the subsequent reminder that underneath Pleo’s cute exterior and adorable personality lie something incomprehensible and alien.
So, keep your skin on, Pleo. Maintain the illusion, because I want to believe that you’re alive.
[ PleoWorld ]
Category: General
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Comment by Jan Schmidt
Made Friday, 9 of May , 2008 at 3:35 am
The emotional attachment is probably due in no small part to the quite human looking baby-blue eyes. I think there’s a real human baby used in the manufacture of each one!
Comment by Andrew Liszewski
Made Friday, 9 of May , 2008 at 8:34 am
I actually find this whole saga hilarious. But hopefully UGOBE will realize that Pleo needs to be upgraded with some sort of saw-blade attachment, maybe even a flipper. It’s survival of the fittest in the robot world. Just ask AIBO where being cute got him.
Comment by David
Made Friday, 9 of May , 2008 at 1:42 pm
Pleo looks dead on its feet anyway and I didn’t notice much difference in its responsiveness between before and after. The motors must/ought to be capable of faster response than generally shown in videos. Just compare the movements of Pleo to those of the Wall-E toy at Maker Faire. Which of them looks more alive and has personality! Fungus is alive but I don’t want to have to resort to time lapse photography just to see if it moved.
At the moment Pleo is a con, just the same as Pet Rocks were a con, and the sooner Ugobe wake up to the possibilities the better it will be for the industry.
Comment by Whit+
Made Sunday, 11 of May , 2008 at 7:40 am
Evan,
I think these are interesting questions indeed. The incident shows how we become emotionally attached.
It is also not just about Pleo’s skin. Would “he” be any less cute in his skinless form?
R2D2 had no animal/human qualities except “his” voice - yet R2 was easy to get attached to.
Even the Terminator (good or bad), Lt. Data fill us with emotional responses. For that matter, I have felt sad selling old reliable cars.
This says much about us and how we relate to the world around us. We long for meaning and connection.
Comment by Gene
Made Wednesday, 10 of December , 2008 at 7:14 pm
Perhaps this will develop a market for titanium ball bats for pleo owners who feel the need to protect their little friends. Is this the beginning of robot RAGE? What shame that so many people feel the need to destroy someone else’s property.