Topobo

Concept: Amanda Parkes
Hayes Raffles
Date: 2007

Bring figures to life! “Topobo” enables visitors to assemble any living things they like—animals, plants, human beings—and then by pushing, pulling or spinning them, to set them in motion. Construct your own individualized dog, cat or bird and then teach it to run, jump or flap its wings!

“Topobo”—a name made up of “topology” and “robotics”—is a 3-D construction system with a built-in kinetic memory that can record and play back movements. It consists of a total of 10 basic forms that can be assembled in a multitude of different ways. Nine of these components are merely “passive” (static) elements and serve to create stable connections. The “active” (motorized) components feature state-of-the-art robotics technology.

By simply snapping these components together, a user can quickly construct forms like plants or animals that can then be animated by pushing or tugging on them. The system then repeats these movements. For example, the pieces can be used to assemble an elk, which can be taught to walk by the user moving its legs. “Topobo” functions like en extension of the body—one that endows the creature with the capacity to reckon and to remember.

This project was inspired by contemporary trends in computer media design and by the work of artists and scientists like Ernst Haeckel, D’Arcy Thompson, Mybridge, Maret and Michael Grey, who have used visual investigations and models in an effort to better understand the patterns that emerge in the natural world. “Topobo” is designed to enable experimentation and playful self-expression on the part of human users in order for them to discover and test the general, natural relationships between nature’s forms and their dynamic movements.

“Topobo” was singled out for recognition at Prix Ars Electronica 2004 with an Honorary Mention in the Interactive Art category.