The Lonely Home bench, by Tobi Schneidler and m.a.o.works, is a “socially intelligent design object”, part domestic furniture and part robotic pet. You can use it as a normal bench but it will come alive unexpectely to confront you and challenge your presence. It might, for example, try to throw you off when you sit down and moves when you stroke it.

The LonelyHome is a relative of the RemoteHome, an apartment that exists in two cities at the same time and connects close friends over distance through tangible design elements.

Video.

The Lonely Home bench is at Victoria & Albert Museum London, until August 29th 2005, as part of the Touch Me exhibition.