This document discusses a proposed "Flocking TrashCan Robot" project to build robots that mimic flocking behavior to clean the UC Berkeley campus. The robots would include trash boxes and cleaner robots that follow simple flocking rules, allowing dynamic emergent behavior. Parameters like the ratio of different robot types and how they interact with people could be adjusted. A simulation and prototype were created to explore the concept. The goal is to use physical movement to activate spaces and allow interaction between people and robots.

1. EXPRESSIVE MOVEMENT IN
ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN
Design Frontiers Workshop Series
at the Cal Design Lab at the College of Environmental Design
at UC Berkeley
Yasuto Nakanishi
Keio Univ. / Stanford Univ.

2. Various shapes of TrashCans
in UC Berkeley Campus

3. Several Boxes look like flocking.

4. Flocking TrashCan Robot
To build in physical movement of otherwise inanimate spacesTo build in physical movement of otherwise inanimate spaces
what would move? trash boxes and cleaners
why? to clean up UC Berkeley campus
How should it feel? dynamic flock like “boid” simulation
http://processing.org/examples/flocking.html

5. Flocking TrashCan Robot
That would make a good improvisational stage for showcasing
people’s (and robots’) expressive movements.
That would make a good improvisational stage for showcasing
people’s (and robots’) expressive movements.
How should it feel?
People wants to going into the flock of
cleaning boids and interact with them.
http://processing.org/examples/flocking.html

6. Flocking TrashCan Robot
Simulation of an Arduino based 3WD robot
in CityCompiler, a prototyping tool using jmonkeyengine
http://www.nexusrobot.com/
product.php?id_product=87

7. Flocking TrashCan Robot
Simulation of a flock of trash box robots and cleaner robots
in CityCompiler

8. Flocking TrashCan Robot
• With Only 3 rules, dynamic behavior emerges.
• Separation: steer to avoid crowding local
flockmates
• Alignment: steer towards the average heading
of local flockmates
• Cohesion: steer to move toward the average
position of local flockmates
http://www.red3d.com/cwr/boids/

9. Flocking TrashCan Robot
• Team of TrashBox robots and Cleaner robots
• one flock? or two flocks?
• ratio? : 50:50? 30:70? 70:30?

10. two flocks
one flock

11. 50:50

12. 30:70

13. 70:30

14. Flocking TrashCan Robot
• Interaction with People
• going away from people?
• coming near to people?
• what is good balance?

15. Flocking TrashCan Robot
• Adding only one rule brings dynamic behavior of
stopping at a person and backing to the flock.
• Just changing flocking parameters brings the
balance.

16. Flocking TrashCan Robot
Trash Box with Lid

17. Flocking TrashCan Robot
Wire Trash Box

18. Flocking TrashCan Robot
Google Android

19. Flocking TrashCan Robot
Final Prototype
https://vimeo.com/70658886

20. EXPRESSIVE MOVEMENT IN
ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN
• Robot2Robot
• dynamic movement of “boid” flocking
• Human2Robot
• adding only one rule
• the body works not only as a trash box but
also as a cylinder display for Processing.