CurlyBot+
a robotic toy recording and replaying sound and motion to foster multimodal play
Introduction
Physical play is integral to childhood development. Often children pair sound, dialogue, and onomatopoeia with their actions and interactions. Through these imaginative experiences, simple toys become portals to fantastical worlds, enriching cognitive and social growth. However, screen-based video games and entertainment media often fail to preserve the tangible aspects of physical play.
We introduce Curlybot+, a robot designed to capture and replay both the auditory and kinetic elements of play. By aligning with children’s natural play behaviors, Curlybot+ fosters imaginative engagement through an interactive modality that combines sound and movement playback, encouraging deeper creative expression. Additionally, we aim to integrate AI into the product, leveraging AI-generated sounds and movements to further enhance the interaction between Curlybot+ and children, creating a more dynamic and engaging play experience.
Design
Interaction Scenarios
Scenario1: Tom and Jerry Tangible Animator
The classic Tom and Jerry cartoon, beloved by generations of children, depicts the humorous antics of the titularcharacters. We envision Curlybot+ as a tool that children could use to reenact these scenes within their own homes.For example, one Curlybot+ could represent Tom and another Jerry, allowing children to physically recreate their ownscenes by moving the toys, while adding sound effects or voice acting during recording.Curlybot+ can also capture background music from Tom and Jerry episodes, setting the tone for the storyline. Withcustomizable shells, children could decorate Curlybot+ to resemble the characters, perhaps using flexible materials tomimic the exaggerated, cartoonish movements of Tom. This setup allows children to translate imaginative or animatedspaces into their physical environment through tangible, creative play
Scenario2: Ambient Story Recording and Playback
Another scenario where Curlybot+ could enhance storytelling is through its ability to capture ambient sounds as it moves, dynamically simulating a scene through audio and motion. Imagine a child pushing Curlybot+ through rooms of the house, creating an adventure as they play. As Curlybot+ travels, it picks up ambient sounds from the environment— perhaps the rustling of Grandpa’s newspaper, the sizzle of cooking in the kitchen, or the clinking tools of parents fixing faucets.
Later, the child can replay the adventure from the starting point, with Curlybot+ retracing its path and recreating the sounds recorded. This combination of movement and audio allows the child to relive the experience, connecting the story’s auditory elements to physical space in ways that enhance imaginative recall and narrative continuity
Scenario3: Ghost instrument
We call another interesting music-making experience with Curlybot+ the ”Ghost Instrument,” which involves re contextualizing sound and movement recordings during playback. In this scenario, children attach drumsticks to Curly bot+ and push it around striking objects, each producing a unique sound. During playback, the objects are swapped out for new ones that create different sounds. As Curlybot+ replays its recorded movements, it appears as if it is hitting the new objects, creating unexpected sound effects. A cotton ball could sound like a metal can, or a plastic bottle might sound like ceramics, adding an element of surprise to the play experience.
Final outcome
Future Envision
1. Delayed Playback
The potential for a toy like Curlybot+ to record childhood play interactions extends far beyond simple entertainment. One intriguing opportunity is the ability to interact with one’s younger self through delayed playback. This feature could serve various purposes over time. For example, replaying a Curlybot+ recording from a week ago might allow a child to pick up a forgotten storyline or continue an imaginative play session. Replaying a recording from a year ago could help a child recall which friends they were playing with or what activities interested them at the time. Looking back at a recording from ten years ago, as an adult, could provide a unique, unfiltered glimpse into one’s own childhood, offering a more authentic perspective on early memories and play experiences. Curlybot+ explores the concept of ‘lifelong toys’ - where toy design not only considers the child in its current moment as the only user, but thinks about the meaning toys could hold when the child grows up, becomes an adult and eventually grows older.
2. Tangible AI Toy
