Childs Play
Two bots playing seesaw

A Study of Play, Effort, and Social Behavior

We as humans are social beings. One of the first ways for us to understand the world was through playing. Our parents introduced us to the idea of “school,” where we met other children, socialized, and played. At that age, when we play, we don’t go around thinking, “What is the goal?” We just do it because it is fun. Children play for the experience, the enjoyment. Play is rarely solitary; it is shaped by rhythm, response, and shared attention. A seesaw captures this idea particularly well. It functions well when two bodies participate. One side goes down, the other goes up. The experience exists not in a single body, but a relationship between them.

In this project, we explore play as a social human trait by designing two creatures whose experiences, movements, and behaviors depend on one another. Highlighting that a play emerges through a shared effort, imbalance, and response from others.

This project examines play as a human trait within the context of Artificial Creatures by building two bots connected by a seesaw. Rather than focusing on the play as an internal emotion, we approach it as a social act that emerges through interaction, dependency, and response. We did this by shifting the focus from the object to the creatures, showing that human-like qualities can be perceived through shared action, not just through an understanding or intention.

Our process

During the development of this project, we went through several iterations. We initially began with solenoids, imagining an explosive upward push that would create sudden, playful movement. However, after extensively testing the solenoids and even pushing them beyond their intended safety limits, we found that they failed to deliver the expressive force we were looking for. The movement felt constrained rather than playful.

After returning to the drawing board (Ana took a picture because she thought it was funny), we decided to shift to using motors instead. While motors provided greater control and expressive potential, they introduced a new challenge: avoiding a mechanical or tool-like appearance. Our goal was not to create a single machine, but to convey the presence of two individual creatures interacting with one another. To emphasize their individuality and playful relationship, we chose two different types of motors, a servo motor and a stepper motor, each with its own distinct movement quality. This contrast helped reinforce the idea of two creatures playing together rather than one unified system.

Final project

Our final iteration consists of two artificial creatures in the form of 3D-printed mechanical legs, joined through a shared seesaw. Though the minimal forms, their behavior reflects our core exploration: play, effort, and social behavior.

Each creature has its own distinct motor. One is technically stronger and capable of more force, while the other is less strong, but it is more consistent. Yet, the final iteration showed an unexpected dynamic: the stronger motor contributed less to the motion, while the weaker motor took on a greater effort by being more consistent. Instead of dominating the "act," the more powerful creature becomes more passive, letting the other creature lead the rhythm of the act.

This inversion reflects something deep within us. In real social dynamics, strength does not always translate into power. But someone with greater self-control and consistency might be the one to take more action to lead. This seesaw becomes a medium to show that imbalance is not a flaw but a condition for a shared experience.

The final display proposes that a creature-like quality does not emerge solely from appearance, complexity, or perfection. But it comes from imperfection in its relational behavior. Here, it expresses its act not from control, but from negotiation between two unequal entities, whose interaction shared the act of play. No single one is better. Just one act with the shared experience.