We Built a Shaming Robot

Summary

In a creative attempt to address the noise issue in an open office space, a team designs a 'shaming robot' to politely but firmly remind workers to keep quiet. The robot, equipped with an ESP32 brain, microphone, servo motor, and LED eyes that turn red with noise, takes photos of the loudest offenders and displays them on office screens. After overcoming design challenges and incorporating a British voice for authenticity, the robot is tested and receives mixed reactions, but ultimately proves to be an effective noise deterrent.

Takeaways

• 😅 The script describes an embarrassing situation where an open office space is disrupted by noise from a nearby kitchen.
• 🤖 The solution proposed is to create a 'shaming robot' to address the noise issue without directly confronting the noisy individuals.
• 🎭 The robot is intended to be neither too scary nor too cute, but somewhere in between to be effective in its role.
• 🔊 The robot has different responses based on noise levels, with the ultimate response being taking a photo of the loudest person and displaying it on office screens.
• 👤 The robot is designed to have a British accent and use passive-aggressive language to politely but firmly ask people to be quiet.
• 🤖 The robot's face is made of Plexiglas with an 8x8 Matrix LED controller for the eyes, which change color based on noise levels.
• 🛠️ The robot's components include an ESP32 as the brain, a microphone, servo motors, an amplifier with an MP3 player, and smart Neopixel LEDs.
• 🎨 The robot's face design was initially too creepy, leading to a switch to a more friendly 2D approach, with an illustrator's help.
• 🔩 The robot's electronics were initially messy but were later organized into a small, portable wooden base with the LEDs inside the face.
• 🎙️ The robot uses the voice of a real British person to deliver its shushing messages, adding authenticity to its passive-aggressive tone.
• 😂 The final test of the robot's effectiveness shows mixed reactions, with some people amused and others annoyed, but overall it is considered a success.

Q & A

What is the main problem in the office described in the script?

The main problem is that the open space area near the kitchen is causing noise disturbances due to people chatting loudly while getting drinks or snacks, which interrupts the focus of those working nearby.

What solution is proposed to address the noise issue in the office?

A shaming robot is proposed as a solution to address the noise issue, which would respond to different noise levels and politely but aggressively ask people to be quiet.

What characteristics does the robot need to have according to the script?

The robot should be neither too scary nor too cute, have a British accent, be passive-aggressive, and have a robotic face that turns red as noise levels increase.

What components are used to build the robot's face?

The components used include an ESP32 as the brain, servo motors for the mouth, an amplifier with an MP3 player, a speaker, an ESP32 cam, smart Neopixel LEDs, and two Nokia LCD screens for the eyes.

Why did the creators switch from the initial design of the robot's face to a 2D approach?

The initial design was deemed too creepy, leading to the decision to go with a more friendly 2D approach, which was modeled by their illustrator.

What material was used to create the robot's face after the laser cutting process?

Two-millimeter Plexiglas was used to create the robot's face after the laser cutting process.

How did the creators enhance the detail of the robot's face after the laser cutting?

They used a vinyl sticker to add more detail to the robot's face after the laser cutting process.

What challenges did the creators face when assembling the robot's components?

The creators faced challenges such as managing a mess of wires, figuring out where each wire goes, and fitting all the components into a small, portable box.

How did they address the issue of the robot's voice?

They recorded the voice of a real-life British person to give the robot a British accent and make it sound condescending and unpleasant, which fits the robot's intended personality.

What was the final outcome of the robot's testing in the office?

The robot was successful in shaming people into being quieter, especially when it took a selfie of the loudest person and displayed it on office screens. However, it also attracted people who wanted selfies or tried to 'kill' the robot.

What feedback did the creators receive from the robot's interaction with people in the office?

While some people were annoyed by the robot, others found it amusing and liked its aggressive shaming approach. The creators learned that the robot needs an off-switch to control its interactions.

Outlines

00:00

🤖 Introducing the Noise-Shaming Robot

The script introduces a problem in an office environment where a noisy kitchen area adjacent to an open workspace disrupts the focus of employees. The solution proposed is a 'shaming robot' designed to address the issue without causing social discomfort. The robot is envisioned to have a range of responses to noise levels, escalating to taking a photo of the loudest person and displaying it on office screens. The robot's design is discussed, including a British accent and a passive-aggressive demeanor, with components such as an ESP32 brain, microphone, servo motor, speaker, and LED eyes. The development process includes creating a robotic face from Plexiglas, using a laser machine, and incorporating electronics into a compact wooden base.

05:03

🎬 Testing the Noise-Shaming Robot with a British Accent

This paragraph details the final stages of the noise-shaming robot's development, including recording a British voice for the robot and conducting tests. The robot is named 'David Shaver,' and its reactions to noise are tested. Despite some humorous challenges and the robot's aggressive yet amusing shaming behavior, the device is deemed a success. The video creators encourage viewers to subscribe for more content, ending the script on a light-hearted note.

Keywords

💡Embarrassing

Embarrassing refers to a feeling of self-consciousness or awkwardness typically caused by one's actions or circumstances. In the video, the term is used to describe the awkward situation of having to address the noise issue in the office without upsetting the coworkers, highlighting the social challenge the creators face.

💡Open Space Area

An open space area is a design concept in office environments where there are no walls between workstations, promoting collaboration and interaction. The script mentions that the noise from the open space area is disrupting the focus of workers, indicating a common issue in such spaces.

💡Noise

Noise in this context refers to unwanted sound that can be distracting or annoying, especially in a work environment. The video's theme revolves around the problem of noise in an open office, which affects productivity and requires a creative solution.

💡Shaming Robot

A shaming robot is a conceptual device designed to address undesirable behavior, in this case, noise, by making people feel embarrassed about their actions. The creators want a robot that can discourage loud behavior without being overly aggressive, which is central to the video's narrative.

💡Servo Motor

A servo motor is a type of actuator that allows for precise control of movement. In the script, it is mentioned as a component to move the robot's mouth, showing how the robot's physical features are brought to life.

💡ESP32

ESP32 is a microcontroller with integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities, often used in IoT projects. The video describes it as the 'brain' of the robot, controlling various devices and functions, which is crucial for the robot's operation.

💡Nokia LCD Screens

Nokia LCD screens are small, low-power displays that were originally used in mobile phones. The script mentions using them for the robot's eyes, illustrating the creative repurposing of technology for the project.

💡Laser Cutting

Laser cutting is a process that uses a laser to cut materials, and it is mentioned in the script as the method used to create the robot's face from Plexiglas. This technique is important for the physical realization of the robot's design.

💡Prototyping

Prototyping refers to the process of creating a preliminary model of a product to test and refine its design. The script describes the iterative process of building and testing the robot, which is a fundamental aspect of the video's storyline.

💡British Accent

A British accent is a type of English accent that is associated with the United Kingdom. The video creators chose a British accent for the robot to give it a specific identity and to add a layer of cultural context to the character's passive-aggressive shushing behavior.

💡Passive Aggressive

Passive-aggressive behavior is a form of indirect resistance to express negative feelings without confronting the issue directly. The script describes the robot's shushing as polite but aggressive, embodying this concept and adding humor to the video's message.

Highlights

The office's open space area is causing noise disturbances for workers.

A shaming robot is proposed to address the noise issue without social repercussions.

The robot is designed to have a range of responses based on noise levels.

At the highest noise level, the robot takes a picture of the culprit and displays it on office screens.

The robot's design balances between being scary and cute, with a focus on being socially acceptable.

The robot will have a robotic face with interactive, anger-indicating eyes.

The robot will be British and use passive-aggressive language to shush people politely but aggressively.

The ESP32 is chosen as the brain of the robot to control various devices.

Components include a microphone, servo motor, amp with MP3 player, speaker, ESP32 cam, LEDs, and Nokia LCD screens.

The initial design of the robot's face was deemed too creepy, leading to a switch to a more friendly 2D approach.

The robot's face is laser-cut from 2mm Plexiglas and detailed with vinyl stickers.

The robot's eyes were initially tested with an 8x8 Matrix LED controller for a more appealing look.

A wooden base was created to house the electronics while the LEDs are placed inside the face.

The team faced challenges in fitting all components into a small, portable box.

A British person's voice was recorded for the robot to add authenticity to its passive-aggressive shushing.

The final robot, named David Shaver, was tested for its noise-shaming capabilities.

The robot was successful in shaming noise-makers, but some people just wanted selfies or tried to 'kill' the robot.

The project concluded with a humorous note, emphasizing the robot's effectiveness and the team's experience.

Transcripts

oh

this is so embarrassing

[Music]

we have a problem in our office two

floors above us is an open space area

full of hard-working people and right

next to it a kitchen the open space is

natural you see workers getting a drink

or a snack will often stay and chat with

each other loudly interrupting the focus

of the people working next to them and

killing them okay not killing them but

you know it's annoying now telling

people to be quiet AKA crushing them is

not really an option if you want to keep

being invited to social events so we

need someone who's above the social

construct someone who wouldn't mind

being rude and unloved and I'm not

talking about the Hopkins we need a

shaming robot now robots are typically

either very scary or very cute we want

our robot to be somewhere about here it

will have different responses based on

the different levels of noise people

will make on the max level our robot

will actually take a picture of the

culprit and post it on all the screens

around the office and as you can see we

have many screens here okay so we're

gonna be able to robots a robot a robot

okay full robot or just the head no just

the hands and the legs

we figured we'll make a face a robotic

face that has interactive eyes whose

face will become more and more red as

there is noise around him because he's

getting angry and eventually he'll shush

you up he'll be British maybe but he'll

be passive aggressive he'll say up in

the sentences that well shush people

politely but aggressively first things

first let's figure out which parts we're

going to use esp32 as a brain that's

going to control all different devices

you can have a microphone Servo motor to

move the mouth uh we're gonna have an

amp uh with built-in MP3 player and a

speaker connected to that for our sound

esp32 cam with its own esp32 brain

inside I have LEDs like smart neopixel

LEDs and finally we have two Nokia LCD

screens for his eyes

I connected all the components on a

breadboard tested the eyes hated the

eyes switched to an 8x8 Matrix LED

controller which looks much nicer while

I tried to figure out how to code and

animate on the new screen the Hopkins

sat down to model this Abomination we

actually decided it was too creepy and

ended up going with a more friendly 2D

approach and by Wii I actually mean that

our illustrator music did all the work

next we'll go to the laser machine to

cut up our robot's face out of two

millimeter Plexiglas now that almost

looks like a face we can get some more

detail by using a vinyl sticker and

doing the satisfying action here

so good try it again with the laser peel

that off add some more pieces and just

look at my reaction oh looking good we

brought in all the components and gave a

little test run for the eyes which

really reminded me of my ex-girlfriend

Craig Crazy Eyes Crazy Eyes uh yeah we

have to do the eyes so I'll fix

everything now it's time to test the

check by shouting at it

[Music]

as you can see this is a total mess of

wires in check like where the does

this wire go I have no idea we need to

make it much smaller and figure out

where it all goes maybe we can put

everything outside in something that

doesn't look like a face here's a plan

we'll give the face on volume so the

LEDs can go inside while the rest of the

electronics will sit inside a wooden

base underneath the face

so it's day two and after a few hours of

work opkin managed to model print and

assemble the shelf for the face and also

make this tiny tiny box which she almost

lost two fingers while making watch out

watch out watch out

but who cares about his fingers look how

tiny this box is what's this it's a box

what's this for

Electronics of this project yeah

right so this tiny little box needs to

contain speaker uh or amplifier the

microcontroller the microphone needs to

be somewhere maybe over here oh and we

need the servo I don't know if you want

to put the motor inside it's supposed to

be inside in the Box yeah it's kind of

tight tight tight tight

so dropkin finished the boss and I moved

all the components from the messy

breadboard into this nice and small

protable I also wired the LED now we

just need to trick the drop key into

putting it all inside the box I'm done

it doesn't look like it I think I'll

leave this to you okay either your own

medicine oh you took it better than I

thought no no no

thanks to the power of teamwork and

definitely not the fear of being hit by

a hammer we managed to squeeze

everything inside now all our robot

needs is a British accent so I sat down

with a real life British person to get

his voice so Josh British people in

general are kind of cold and like

unpleasant and kind of like

condescending right

yeah this guy is the real deal I have to

hear his shushing power shut your mouth

shut your noise please please shut up

you absolutely not bad is that what you

were looking for are you happy that was

amazing thank you so much Josh now that

we have Josh's voice we are ready to

test our invention but then goblin found

a huge problem and here it is wait stop

and like button should have clicked them

by now please hit that button we don't

get paid if we don't get those subs so

here we have him David shaver is finally

ready now we can take this and sell it

in place

[Music]

wow that sucks

oh my God

oh

what your mother did what

[Music]

alone

I do make a lot of noise I'm not gonna

lie

very shaming aggressive I like it so

what have we learned we learned that

except for the people who just wanted a

cool selfie or the people who try to

kill us you have to have me and turn it

off you have to have it turn it off the

device is a great success

don't forget to subscribe and we'll see

you in the next video

[Music]