VictimBot

VictimBot was designed to look less threatening than the other two. We gave him a smaller body over the top of the similar base design. The main problem we had throughout the construction and refinement process was giving him the ability to fall down (be pushed over) and pick himself back up fluidly. To overcome this we dedicated one servo to picking him up and touch sensors -front and back- to help him react to being pushed over. VictimBot needs to be physically pushed over by one of the others. When he is pushed (from behind) the rear sensor activates and tells him to lift his arms to facilitate the fall. When VictimBot hits the ground the front sensor activates and he picks himself up again to carry on with his dance. We tried many different construction styles for the "arms". The problem we confronted here was the playoff between power of the servo and length of the arms. We shortened the arms so he was able to pick himself up. Then we had to change the shape of the arms so they could rotate 180 degrees on their axis. We couldn't achieve all of these elements without a stabilising brace that runs between the "arms".

Once we had found a functional "arm" system we refined it for aesthetics and to make them look similar to the "arms" on the OppressorBots. VictimBot has similarities to the other robots that show that they are all of a common group (just like the fact that all dancers from Gathering Clouds are human - alike), however, VictimBot has obviously unique physical attributes. He is smaller, has no claws, and has an ultrasonic sensor situated like a head. His physical differences show Victimbot as somewhat different. This emulates the message from the original Gathering Clouds - that one (the Pacific Islander) is different, and suggests that this difference is why he is being oppressed.

Below is a collage showing some design stages and the final product;