Your New Best Friends: An Exploration of Furby, Siri, and Other Sociable Electronics

• Main Author: Forbes, Avery
• Format: Others
• Published: ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst 2021
• Subjects: Furby; Siri; Alexa; interactive art; installation art; new media art; Art Practice; Interactive Arts; Interdisciplinary Arts and Media; Sculpture
• Online Access: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/masters_theses_2/1047; https://scholarworks.umass.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2122&context=masters_theses_2

Your New Best Friends: An Exploration of Furby, Siri and Other Sociable Electronics is focused around interactive electronic systems and the effect these systems can have on our human psyches. My work focuses on two particular periods of development: the late 80’s to early 90’s, and the 2010’s to present. One period represents my childhood and the other my early adulthood. By comparing the two I can examine trends in the ways we engage with robotics and can better understand the ubiquity of electronically mediated interactions today. I utilize these new understandings to manipulate the capabilities of devices from both periods to create pieces that communicate care in a new way, sparking a moment of joy for the viewer while also increasing the awareness of the failings of devices when compared with true human interaction.