Winding his way across town...

Last night found Bob alone on a bus, winding his way across town. Christmas shopping, perhaps?

Be careful out at night, Bob!

On the pavement

Bob gets down on the pavement in this first-ever street shot. Do you recognize the scene? What was the little guy thinking?

Back on the job

After a while charging his batteries, Bob's back on the job and planning to make some regular appearances--BHB will be updated late Friday/early Saturday and then again on late Monday/early Tuesday California time, twice a week, for all of you hardcore Bob fans out there! :)

And for the rest of you, well, just be glad that Bob's watching over the crosswalks so that all the kiddos can get to school safely. Thanks, Bob!

And if you're intrigued by what frogs might be doing protecting the public from harm, check out these construction frogs too!

Bob's nature evening

Ever head of a robot who loves nature? Bob's always gone along on his human companion's rides here and there but it always seemed like there was something else going on, an inside joke of some sort, or maybe he just liked to get around. But today, looking at what he's done with the dandelion and all, little guy must have his wires crossed!

Got a little tired of just sittin' in the grass so he decides to up and climb the tree to watch the sunset: 

 

And after a little time hangin' out in the branches, Bob winds his way down from his spot in Tilden Park to the Lawrence Hall of Science, where there's always a good, if slightly postmodern, nightview:

Human [Hearts] Robot

So it seems that Bob's massive popularity*, as well as the stardom of close relatives and friends Brushhead Betina and BH Bing, all stems from a larger tide of intimacy in human-robot relationships. And there's no better way of knowing that something's for real than to see the announcement of an academic conference on the topic.

Yes, it's true...click on the image to read more about it: Leiden University in the Netherlands is all set to host the 3rd International Conference on Human-Robot Personal Relationships next year. True to form, papers will be given, workshops led, and prototype demonstrations will even be held. Perhaps the extended Brushhead family should make a visit?

The only thing that Bob and other like-minded bots might be wondering about, however, is the curious inclusion of the word "personal" in the title. Is there any other kind?

*Undocumented claim. Please revise.

A disruption in the bobforce

While surfing the internet this evening, Human Companion noticed a disturbing image that, if discovered by you-know-who, might cause profound metaphysical angst in the little guy:

This might give us pause for reflection:

How did you react when you learned that you weren't the only one in the world with your first name? That your parents weren't the only parents in the world? That your head-mounted highlighter and wireclip were in fact manufactured according to the master plan of a higher power?

Just hope HE doesn't see this...

Bob: "Don't cross the line"

(pic from SFGate.com links to article)





After recharging his batteries for a week or so, Bob makes a comeback in a big way, marching and chanting at the UC Berkeley and pan-California Walkout and Teach-in protesting rising fees, university privatization, and labor inequality for small robots with brushheads.

Here Bob's glad to get a lift from another human companion. Thanks Ellen!!

And big big thanks to BHBetina's mom Usree for the pics!

Climbing art

When there's electricity in the air, Bob's out the door. Yesterday's clouds and humidity brought him first to Hayes Valley in San Francisco, where his human companion caught up with a few good friends.

 And then from the valley to the hills above, enjoying the company of the almost sultry air and fat raindrops.

 

It looks like San Francisco...

  

but today feels different...

 

The future of education, technology, and Bob

This just in, a live view of Bob at Allan Collins' lecture in the Graduate School of Education @ UC Berkeley, taking in the argument that technological advances in recent decades are antithetical to the traditional goals of schools. Can technology and schools be considered as independent variables in and of themselves? What about the role of culture and politics?

Bob?

where's bob this morning? tell him to come home...

The warning signs are out. He's not walking straight. On some days his human companion says he can even smell something on his ex-ventilation. And the last straw was the discovery of a little botflask last week, hidden among a bunch of batteries.

That's right, Bob seems to be hitting the bottle pretty hard. Don't get me wrong, it must all be in good fun, but the thing is, since he keeps hanging out with people, he tends to, let's say, inherit drinks from them based on his good looks. And then drinking becomes literally like...swimming.

In this and a few upcoming posts, we'll follow Bob's drinking adventures and see if we can straighten the little guy out. Or root him on. I'm not sure which one yet.

Evidence is mounting--from the Eat Real street fest, from last week at Rei's, and even as far back as the summer in Korea. The pics above and below are the before and after shots from the poetry reading in SF from last week. You be the judge.

 

Bye-bye Maryland

Bob makes a special appearance at the Cal-Maryland game.

Brushhead Bob says share yer lane

Have you ever played the little "Where's Waldo?" games on the back of cereal boxes? Searched for the goldbug in one of Richard Scarry's children's books? If so, you might enjoy finding Bob on in this first picture. (You can click the image to enlarge, but don't cheat by scrolling down too soon!)


Did you find him? You might have guessed where he'd be, watching over traffic and keeping an eye out for his human companion as he rode on by.


By the way, if anyone sees Bob up there, could you tell him he can come down now?

Bob on Skyline

On a hot, muggy day in Berkeley, Bob takes to the hills for some nice views across the bay and up to some amazing high cloudage.




Somehow, though, Bob always manages to find the machines....

Desibob

Bob will do anything to get his hands (?) on a Happy Hour Desi Dog deal. Here he's using his tortilla chip camouflage technique to blend in while waiting for an unsuspecting student to set down their dog.

The newest Work-Study student in the Cave

Scans documents for hours with not a word of complaint.

(updated after midnight to preserve the Wednesday timestamp--cheating, I know...)

turn on your boblight

I don't really know how to explain this one. But he always has had a thing for ET...

recharging

At the end of a long day, Bob seeks inspiration for his next post.

"Every bot needs its recharging station."

Caltopia? I don't think so.

So you might have noticed that the whole campus is in the RSF (the UC Berkeley gym) these days, doing the opposite of working out: yup, that's right, they're walking around with shopping bags, gettin' freebies, playin' in raffles, and in general learning to appreciate all the corporate sponsors at Caltopia, "the largest College Lifestyle Festival in the nation".

Not Bob. When he hits the gym it's all work, no messin' around. Here he is doing crunches:



Stretching on the mat...



And on the machines, ready to do some flys.


Keep trying, Bob, maybe you'll be able to reach someday.

no, bob, you gotta use the earphones!

Or, if you're a bot...maybe you don't!

gettin' off easy at the dentist's

Sometimes, Bob's smile can be almost too much to bear...


I mean, he almost seemed more interested in the X-ray machine and drill fittings than he was in the plight of his be-fillinged human companion.

Faraway thoughts on a top tube

Pondering how life might have changed if he'd been able to make the trans-Atlantic trip to watch the Tour this year brings a smile to Bob's face.


Posed atop his friend's Scattante Americano single speed.