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January 18, 2006
Beggar
The number of people living below the poverty line is increasing every year and support systems for them seem to be collapsing all around. We have to remember that impoverished people are not always lazy, drug ladened society rejects. In fact, most impoverished people are quite the opposite and live within the confines of their homes struggling to make ends meat. It's hard as the cost of living continually rises while wages stagnate and no one can blame human pride. We all need help sometimes but it's just hard to ask. Well now there's a robot for the materially deprived.
Beggar is a robot constructed entirely from old computer hardware and a few spare parts that can be obtained at no cost. While preserving the anonymity and dignity of its owner, the robot has access to areas normally off limits to solicitors such as shopping malls and community events, where the richer frequent. People generally avoid eye contact with beggars but replaced with a robot, curiosity rises and soon crowds gather around the robot entranced by its simple face and simple message, "please help me." Oddly, people are more willing to part with their money if they communicate from a safe distance via an artificial interface, namely the robot.
more pictures after the jump
Posted by tranism at 7:52 AM | Permalink
Comments
hmm... maybe i'll get the Aibo to bum quarters.
Posted by: A.J. at January 18, 2006 3:55 PM