Robots as Furniture, Integrating Human-Computer Interfaces into the Built Environment

Abstract

What will the universal remote control of the near future look like? What form will the next generation of human-computer interfaces take? Will they be conspicuous interfaces within the built envi- ronment, like a computer screen or a smart speaker? Will they resemble the ubiquitous, portable rectangles that we all carry in our pockets? We propose a third paradigm: interfaces that hide in plain sight, inconspicuously integrated into the furniture always al- ready around us, but ready to be called upon when needed in order to establish a user interface. Our furniture-robot prototype - tbo, the TableBot - demonstrates the viability of this furniture-based human-computer paradigm.