MIAOQIONG
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About

Niki

The design of the system will be done through the lens of a technology that has a specific or strange life-like personality, but not human-like. Using a combination of prototyping using the Delft AI Toolkit and Google Teachable Machine, to create a robot that has adapted to help people or at least try.

AI Robot
Google Teachable Machine
Arduino
Project Type
Solo Project
Timeline
5 Weeks
My Responsibilities
Experience Design, Prototype
Tools
Delft AI Toolkit, Google Teachable Machine, Arduino, Unity

01 Background

Sedentary Lifestyle

For millions of employees, lockdown and then subsequently continuing working from home to combat the COVID-19 epidemic may unsurprisingly be leading to an increase in sedentary habits, and with it, an increase in the associated negative effects. Working long hours in front of a screen could be harmful to our mental and physical health.

The French National Public Health Agency recommended the following good habits:

Get up and move around several times an hour. During lockdown, they recommended doing this at least every half hour.

02 How Niki Can Help You

Check your health status and create a plan for you.

Severe Plan: Alert you every hour, shut off your screen, and remind you to move.

Moderate Plan: Catch your attention, prompting you to stand up and offer help.

Mild Plan: Invite you to dance together.

03 Niki's Personality

Energetic

As long as she has energy, she will run everywhere and invite people to join her dance.

Funny

She likes to play a trick for her friend.

Enthusiastic

Seeing that her friend hardly ever leaves her desk every day, she is eager to help.

04 Components

Niki's components include: object detection by camera, text-to-speech, LED, servo motor movement, and sound.

05 Detection Training Process

Step 01

Collecting datasets of foot close-up, foot far away, and no foot.

Step 02

Using Teachable Machine to train the robot to recognize the distance of people.

Step 03

Test training results.

Step 04

Using Unity to program the robot, including Moving, Recognizing human distances, Lighting LED and Singing.

Step 05

Test training results on the robot: If people get close, the robot moves back; if people move away, the robot moves forward.

06 Reflection

The AI robot is a product designed and produced by humans, serving humans from the moment it is activated. Although AI is meant to create a better future for humanity, I hope we treat it not merely as a tool but as a partner with whom we can coexist.

In this project, I explored the relationship between AI and humans from the perspective of AI developers. Sometimes, I hesitate to adopt new technological applications, such as facial payment systems. Despite assurances that facial data is secure and reliable, I remain skeptical. The issue of trust between AI and humans still exists.

However, I believe that a well-designed AI, endowed with a charming and approachable personality, can bridge the gap between human and technology, fostering connections and allowing technology to integrate more seamlessly into our lives as a partner.

Copyright @ 2025 Miaoqiong Huang