When worlds collide: Applying art and design to robotics

For as long as there have been robots, individuals from the art and design world have used them as inspiration to create great works. It has been only recently that individuals from the robotics world have used art and design to create great robots. The objective of this paper is to explore and analyze the role of Industrial Design (I.D.) in Consumer Robotics. Consumer Robotics is an area of robotics where design and specifically I.D. may be utilized to create innovative and unique products that are functional, aesthetically pleasing, and have a strong human interface component. This paper will explore the role of I.D. within Consumer Robotics, and thereby creating a greater acceptance of robots within the consumer field.