Greyworld has unleashed in The Junction, Cambridge their solar-powered robotic bins that move and chuckle, benches that flock together and sing when the sun comes out.
Andrew Shoben, from Greyworld, said: “At first glance it may look like nothing has changed at all but the bins and benches all have unique personalities. They are what’s called “generative” so that over time they develop more and more personality.
“You’ll find that one bench may be particularly attracted to a particular bin. They will chuckle and giggle sometimes or make rude noises.”
The benches love to be sat on, and they often take up position in new spaces to make themselves more attractive to potential human sitters. Sometimes, when it rains, they move themselves to drier, shadier areas of the square. To attract potential human sitting folk, they like to form patterns – the benches moving in to shapes in the centre of the piazza.
The bins are a little more solitary. When the mood takes them, the furniture like to burst in to song. Sometimes, small clusters gather together and sing a tight six-part harmony, and occasionally, though much more rarely due to their shyness, the bins join in with their sweet soprano voices.
Each bench drifts slowly around the square and is equipped with sensors that detect the presence of objects in its immediate vicinity, coming to a complete halt when any object is coming close.
It is hoped that the cutting edge technology would help keep the bins and benches safe from theft.
Via BBC.
See also.
Related: Greyworld at Art Futura.