# 242: The Cilantro of Robots

- Show: [Embedded.fm](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm)
- Published: 2018-04-20
- Length: 57m
- Episode: 242
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2018-04-20-242-the-cilantro-of-robots
- Listen: https://makingembeddedsystems.libsyn.com/242-the-cilantro-of-robots

## Summary

Christine Sunu, creative director at Flash Bang Product Development and creator of Hack Pretty, discusses 'emotive technology'—designing physical products to evoke specific human emotions. She details her projects like the 'Starfish Cat' and 'Fur Worm,' explaining how minimal cues like movement and heat-seeking sensors can trigger deep empathy or discomfort in users. Sunu warns about the ethical implications of manipulating human instinct, citing Sherry Turkle's research on children's reactions to robots, and advocates for designing interfaces that augment human agency rather than automate relationships.

## Chapters

- [0:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2018-04-20-242-the-cilantro-of-robots#t=6) Introduction and Background
- [1:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2018-04-20-242-the-cilantro-of-robots#t=67) Lightning Round and Pop Culture Context
- [7:26](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2018-04-20-242-the-cilantro-of-robots#t=446) The Starfish Cat: Designing Discomfort
- [13:17](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2018-04-20-242-the-cilantro-of-robots#t=797) The Fur Worm and Minimum Viable Life
- [17:31](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2018-04-20-242-the-cilantro-of-robots#t=1051) Ethics of Emotive Tech and Anthropomorphism
- [32:19](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2018-04-20-242-the-cilantro-of-robots#t=1939) Learning to Build and Open Source
- [47:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2018-04-20-242-the-cilantro-of-robots#t=2848) Future of Augmentation vs Automation

## Topics

- [Industrial & consumer product design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/industrial-design)
- [Embedded firmware](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/embedded-firmware)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)
- [Sensors & measurement in products](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sensors)
- [Open-source hardware](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/open-source-hardware)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Flash Bang Product Development (company)
- Hack Pretty (product)
- Particle (company)
- BuzzFeed (company)
- Starfish Cat (product)
- Fur Worm (product)
- Keepon Robot (product)
- Accelerando (other)
- Alone Together (other)
- Reclaiming Conversation (other)
- Other Minds (other)
- Sherry Turkle (other)
- Peter Godfrey-Smith (other)
- Roomba (product)
- Furby (product)
- Tamagotchi (product)
- Amazon Echo (product)
- R2D2 (product)
- Hal (product)
- Kismet (product)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Episode Twenty-Two: Iveta Eimontaite](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2022-10-21-episode-twenty-two-iveta-eimontaite) (Robot Talk)
- [An Interview with Noah Feehan - Biloquistic Blinking Blush](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2014-06-25-an-interview-with-noah-feehan-biloquistic-blinking-blush) (The Amp Hour)
- [Inside Colin Angle’s bid to build companion robots with Familiar Machines & Magic](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2026-05-04-inside-colin-angles-bid-to-build-companion-robots-with-familiar-machines-magic) (The Robot Report Podcast)
- [Ep 167: Deadly Art Projects, Robot Lock Pickers, LED Horticulture, and Good Samaritan Repairs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2022-05-06-ep-167-deadly-art-projects-robot-lock-pickers-led-horticulture-and-good-samarita) (Hackaday Podcast)
- [171. Finally! A Humanoid Robot You Can Trust](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2024-04-23-171-finally-a-humanoid-robot-you-can-trust) (The Next Byte Podcast)

## Citing this page

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