Losing battery power can be a harrowing experience, a fact that the Mr. Pow Portable Charger knows all too well. Instead of the usual blinking dots and desperate vibrations that most technological devices employ to let us know they're running out of juice, Mr. Pow alerts us with a simple change of expression.
When the adorable little robot is feeling 100% charged, he has a bright smile on his face. As he begins running out of the good stuff, his grin will gradually turn into a frown. No one wants a sad robot charger, so hopefully Mr. Pow's glum expression will remind you to plug him in!
The miniature robot will be more like a friend than a device; albeit, one that helps you charge your phone.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Expressive Technology
- Opportunity to develop empathetic technology that can identify and respond to emotions, changing the scope of interactions with devices.
- Emotive Electronics
- Creating more interactive devices that can respond to emotions enabling a deeper integration into the daily lives of consumers.
- Cute Gadgets
- The increasing popularity of cute and personable tech gimmicks allows for new opportunities to add a fun element to otherwise mundane items.
Where This Applies
- Consumer Electronics
- The consumer electronics industry can leverage emotive electronics to develop new, more natural interfaces that foster consumer allegiance.
- Robotics
- The robotics industry can apply the principles behind expressive technology to create human-like interactions, revolutionizing the way we interact with robots.
- Design
- Designers have an opportunity to integrate emotive electronics and expressive technology into product design, incorporating a fun and playful element to their creations.
