5.1.1 Physical Alphabot
The physical embodiment of the Alphabot blended reality character is a 12 inch cubed robot designed to resemble an alphabet block. The wooden robot is proportionally smaller than the youngest, standing child and moves predictably and slowly thus portraying a non-threatening demeanor. It enables interactions of many different kinds in the physical environment and can motivate specific play actions through immediate feedback. The top face is as an open tray, left experimentally ambiguous as white space in the design, inviting children’s suggested use. Around the outside of the robot are four, small active-IR LEDs used in conjunction with the Phasespace motion capture system to localize the robot in space. The robot is tele-operated by an adult caretaker observing the child-robot interactions. The front velcro face of the robot, structurally supported by a thin sheet of clear acrylic, motivates specific action. Children can experiment with attaching and detaching wooden symbols with embedded RFID tags recognized by the robot and communicated wirelessly to the blended reality media system. Front and rear caster wheels supplement the robot’s two DC motors actuating two wheels in a differential drive configuration.