Normally when we think of robots that can help us in public places or at our private spaces, we think of voice or app activated ones that do as they’re supposed to (with no uprising in the future, hopefully). But usually they are just able to perform one function like either clean the house (robot vacuum), make coffee (robot barista), or give directions (airplane or mall robots). But there are other kinds of more mechanical robots that we can serve multiple functions, depending on what we need.
Designer: Seungmin Ha
Well, at least, on paper, we can imagine this kind of robot that can become what we want with just the touch of our hand. Plate is a concept for a robotic piece of furniture that can turn into different kinds of functional pieces, as if obeying our touch command. It is made up of flat panels with different mechanical pieces that can turn into a table, a bed or seat in front of the TV, a work station, or other things that can utilize its functionality.
The renders show that it’s made up of different panels and has wheels so it can move easily, supposedly with just a gentle push. It has three engineering components: a high-torque motor that can smoothly move the heavy panels, an angle adjustment module so you have angle control, and strength wire to make sure it can handle high loads and still be stable.
Unlike other robots that are usually automated or use voice controls, this one is more about touching them directly. It can be pushed, tilted, or manipulated accordingly. Hopefully it is easy to handle or else it might defeat the purpose of having a robot to obey your commands.
