The idea/ introduction
Ziyan and Ziyi are two half-petrified people. They can only move their upper body slowly. Garry is Ziyan’s robot, who can carry a lot of stuff; Monica is Ziyi’s robot, who can fly. Today is Ziyan’s birthday, but Ziyan doesn’t want to celebrate her birthday because of the severe pandemic. Ziyi wants to help Ziyan to celebrate her birthday by sending her robot to carry Ziyan’s robot to the bakery to take the cake she booked before. Ziyan and Ziyi use finger sensor and wrist sensor to control their robot.
Originality
The invent “robot” was invented by our whole group and it is based on the story “the Plague”. Because of the severe pandemic, it is hard for people to go out and petrified people moves slowly. To make the life of petrified people easier, we finally came up with the idea of “half petrified people controlling their robots by tiny figure movement”. To make the story special, we imagined a scenario of buying a cake. Ziyi and I decided to perform the petrified people. Ziyi thought her robot can fly, I thought the two robots can cooperate to help their owners. So, I came up with the idea that Ziyi’s flying robot carrying my robot who can carry lots of stuff to the bakery and buy a cake back for me.
I think our artifact is successful because it shows the interaction between human and robot, and it also fits the storyline.
A critical analysis and assessment of a performance from group 1
The project I choose is called the “memory remover”, from group 3. If we did something wrong and feel sad, we can wear the “memory remover”, which can remove our relevant memory so that we can feel relieved.
The “memory remover” is based on the story called “the Plague”, and I think the correlation between the project and the fictional story is high because during the pandemic, we need to choose to kill the infectious people to prevent the spread of virus and protect the healthy people. Sometimes, we must kill the people that we don’t want to kill, and after that, we will feel extremely sad and regret. The “memory remover” can help us relief our pain and sadness.
I think their project meets the criteria of the assignment well because their idea is not only creative, but also fit the storyline. The “memory remover” embodies the interaction between the machine and the one who uses it, which I think the “memory remover” is a great design.
Their performance is wonderful and interesting too. The actors all imagined themselves as the people in the story, and the performance was very involved. They have totally showed the inner monologue of a scientist that a scientist needs to let go of her feelings to protect the whole human beings and “extinguish” the infectious people fairly. After “killing” her brother, she felt sad and regret. Angel put the “memory remover” on her head, making her feel relief. It makes me better understand how it works.
I don’t have any suggestion for them.
Teamwork
Our teamwork is great. We cooperated well with each other and made it a successful performance.
Different roles
Ziyan: half petrified person, whose birthday is today.
Gerry: Ziyan’s robot, can carry lots of stuff.
Ziyi: half petrified person, who would like to help Ziyan to celebrate her birthday.
Monica: Ziyi’s robot, can fly.
Kevin: the bakery owner
the Task Allocations
In terms of task allocations, our team basically did everything together with equal contribution to the entire project and performance.
Kevin: make a cash register counter and card money, take the whole charge of our group.
Garry: make robot’s body and card money.
Ziyi: draw robot’s wrings and stick; made a cake
Ziyan: make the wrist and finger “sensor”; cut one wring; made a cake
Monica: stick the “sensor” handed from Ziyan with a glue gun; cut one wring.
Communication within the team
Firstly, Kevin emailed every group mates. We all replied to it and created a WeChat group chat. Secondly, we met via zoom to discuss about the idea of our project. We put our previous relevant homework on a Google doc together, finding that the greatest invention among us is more about “the Plague”. So, we brain stormed together. Considering it is hard for people to go out due to the severe pandemic, and petrified people moves slowly, we finally came up with the idea of “half petrified people controlling their robots by tiny figure movement”. To make the story special, we imagined a scenario of buying a cake.
During the process of making, Kevin taught us the technique of making and how to use the tool effectively. We also discussed about the function of the two robots. At first, we have no idea about it. We thought that we can just make whatever we want. After making the square body and the wrings, we came up with the flying robot and staff-carrying robot naturally.
When it comes to rehearsal, we imagine ourselves as people in the story, fully immersed in the story, communicating naturally with each other. Finally, it became our script.
Script
Characters: Ziyan, Gerry, Ziyi, Monica, Kevin
[Ziyi and Ziyan are each at their own homes, sitting still in their seat]
Ziyi [Dial the phone with tiny finger movements]: Hi Ziyan!
Ziyan: Hi Ziyi!
Ziyi: Ziyan, Happy birthday!
Ziyan: Oh you remember it? Thank you!
Ziyi: Yea… You’re welcome! How are you going to celebrate that?
Ziyan: The pandemic is very severe, so… I don’t want to celebrate it.
Ziyi: Shall we buy a birthday cake?
Ziyan: A birthday cake? But the bakery is pretty far away from here.
Ziyi: Ya… And we have become half statues. When we arrive at the bakery, it’s time to celebrate your million-year-old birthday.
What about our robots? We can ask them to…
Ziyan: Is that realistic?
Ziyi: Well, my robot Monica can fly, who can take your robot, Gerry, to the cake shop.
Ziyan: Oh that’s a great idea! Thank you so much.
Ziyi: You’re welcome.
[Kevin is at his bakery]
Ziyi [Dial the phone]
Kevin: Hello, Kevin’s Bakery. Anything I can help you with?
Ziyi: Hi. I want a cake for my friend.
Kevin: Ok, what size and flavor do you want?
Ziyi: 8 inches, cake flavor.
Kevin: Cake flavor cake, that’s a good choice! You can pick it in 30 minutes.
Ziyi: Thanks, bye.
[At Ziyan’s home: Ziyan called her robot Garry, controlling him through the sensor];
[At Ziyi’s home: Ziyi gave instructions to her robot Monica, controlling Monica to fly to Ziyan’s home]
Ziyi: Monica, monica!
Monica: Hello~
Ziyi: Take my friend’s robot Garry to the bakery.
Monica: Order copied.
Ziyi: Century Avenue, No. 1555.
Monica: Yes, address copied: Century Avenue, No. 1555.
[With Ziyi’s remote control, Monica flies to Ziyan’s house to pick Garry up. Monica knocks on the door: dang dang dang! ]
Ziyan(to Garry): Open the door, and hold her tightly.
[Garry holds on to Monica’s wings, Monica will bring Garry to the bakery.]
Monica: I won’t stop you if you wanna fall …
Garry: (screaming) AHHH AHHH AHHH AHHH……
[Monica and Garry are at the bakery.]
Kevin: Hi, how can I help you?
Garry: Cake, now!
Kevin: Ok, may I have your telephone number? (不确定)
Monica: Yes, my host placed the order, with the name Monica and phone number: 12345.
Kevin: Ok, let me see. The cake’s rate is 1 billion in total. Please pay.
Garry: [smash money on the table]
Kevin: Ok, that’s enough.
Monica: [gives Kevin some money] Here are the tips for you.
Kevin: Thank you! [hands the cake to Garry] This is your cake, please enjoy!
[Garry takes the cake and puts it on his head.]
[Monica takes Garry back to Ziyan’s home, but on the way back, Garry drops the cake. Garry picks it up, holding Monica’s wings again, screaming]
[Monica and Garry have arrived at Ziyan’s home.]
Garry: (the robot gives the cake to Ziyan) Cakes for you.
Ziyan: Thank you so much! (To Garry) Go to charge.
Garry: [Kneels down and hides head inside the body.]
Monica: It’s time for me to go back home. [Flies to Ziyi’s home, crouching down and folding her wings.]
[In the bakery, Kevin calls Ziyan, Ziyan receives the call with a tiny finger movement at her home.]
Kevin: Hello, I’m just calling you to make sure you have got the cake.
Ziyan: Oh yeah, I have just received it.
Kevin: Is the cake alright? Because when your robot was at the store, there was something wrong. Could you please check if the quality of the cake is still good?
Ziyan: Yeah, the cake is perfect and the flavor is good.
Kevin: Alright, alright, thank you, thank you! Enjoy it!
Ziyan: Thank you.
Ziyi: [Calls Ziyan] Ding li lingling~
Ziyan:[Answers the phone.]Hello Ziyi.
Ziyi: Have you received the cake?
Ziyan: Yeah, I have received the cake, but it’s a pity that we couldn’t celebrate it together.
Ziyi: Well, what about singing a birthday song together?
Ziyan: Oh, thank you so much!
[Everyone is singing a birthday song together to Ziyan]
Ziyan: Thank you, guys!
Perform video
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