Hi, I'm Danby.

Caroline and I were both interested in how people define what is and isn't a robot and how we interact with such creations.

We both chose microwaves as a item of study, as it is something almost everyone has in their home or encounters on a daily basis. While the microwave technically fits the description of a robot, being a mechanical machine being capable of performing automatic, computer programmable tasks, it is not thought of as a robot.

The reading brings up points as to how we humans define what is and what isn't a human. One of the largest factors in this decision are the anthropomorphic qualities of the mechanical device. Most robots are defined as robots because they are built to resemble humans or animals (though the true autonomy of their actions also helps define what we call them).

Many of the everyday mechanical, computerized devices we use around our homes (and schools) can technically be classified as a robot, but we do not define them as such. 

Both of us decided to 'modify' a microwave, in an attempt to make us reconsider the technology around us.

I decided to, instead of digitally modifying the microwave through means such as video modification or Photoshop, create the physical appearance of a anthropomorphized microwave. It can be sort of considered an installation, as the modified microwave is our studio microwave and its arms and legs are staying until they fall off.

(Meet Danby, your new best friend)

Rodney Brooks, in the reading, mentions that the development of robots with human forms essentially stems from the idea of building machines with human-like intelligence. He brings up the point that since we are only able to (at the moment) build crude representations of humanity, there is a danger that essential aspects of the human body will be lost.

The rendering of 'Danby' (both the brand name of the microwave and our new studio pal's name) with a cute face simply adds a more interactive element to the installation, one that people can relate to more.

Perhaps a microwave isn't the best example of being something that could be, but isn't considered a robot, since it lacks the true autonomy that robot designers are looking to put in such machines, but I feel like it gets the point across.