# 242: The Cilantro of Robots (Repeat)

- Show: [Embedded.fm](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm)
- Published: 2020-10-29
- Length: 57m
- Episode: 242
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2020-10-29-242-the-cilantro-of-robots-repeat
- Listen: https://makingembeddedsystems.libsyn.com/242-the-cilantro-of-robots-repeat

## 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 projects like the 'Starfish Cat' and the 'Fur Worm' to illustrate how minimal cues can trigger deep empathy or discomfort in users, warning against the ethical dangers of manipulating human instinct. Sunu advocates for building interfaces that augment human capabilities rather than automate them, drawing on her background in biophysics and her work at Particle.

## Chapters

- [0:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2020-10-29-242-the-cilantro-of-robots-repeat#t=6) Introduction and Lightning Round
- [5:05](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2020-10-29-242-the-cilantro-of-robots-repeat#t=305) Emotive Design and Pop Culture Context
- [7:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2020-10-29-242-the-cilantro-of-robots-repeat#t=448) The Starfish Cat and Ambiguous Cues
- [13:17](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2020-10-29-242-the-cilantro-of-robots-repeat#t=797) The Fur Worm and Minimum Viable Life
- [17:31](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2020-10-29-242-the-cilantro-of-robots-repeat#t=1051) Ethics of Emotive Tech and Anthropomorphism
- [47:27](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2020-10-29-242-the-cilantro-of-robots-repeat#t=2847) Building for Augmentation vs. Automation
- [48:35](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2020-10-29-242-the-cilantro-of-robots-repeat#t=2915) The Cartoon Guide to IoT and Reading List

## Topics

- [Industrial & consumer product design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/industrial-design)
- [Prototyping & iteration](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/prototyping)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)
- [Embedded firmware](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/embedded-firmware)
- [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)
- Starfish Cat (product)
- Fur Worm (product)
- Keepon Robot (product)
- Furby (product)
- Roomba (product)
- Accelerando (other)
- 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)
- [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)
- [111: With Great Power](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/thoroughly-considered/2024-05-01-111-with-great-power) (Thoroughly Considered)
- [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)
- [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)

## Citing this page

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