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Gimme, the Panhandling Robot, Wants Your Pocket Change

Pinball arcade with players at various machines under dim lighting.

This panhandling robot isn't too proud to beg. In fact, it's custom-built for it. And who could refuse? Get a load of that puppy-dog eye.

Creator Chris Eckert explains, "Gimme is a two axis numerically controlled sculpture that pans a room looking for people. Once found, the machine tracks a person, cajoles them into making a donation, and resumes scanning the room searching for potential donors.

Rusty mechanical device with a canister and a small wheel.

The sculpture is controlled by an Arduino Pro Mini. Stepper motors are driven by two Pololu A4983 Stepper Motor Driver Carriers. The microcontroller, stepper drivers, and sensors are all mounted on a custom circuit board made with Eagle CAD."

More here.

Previously, Some Dissembly Required: Researchers Teach Robot to Lie.

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