Humanoid or gripper arm?

I am currently asking myself this very specific question for my shows. I’m already working with an abstract robot in the form of a gripper arm on stage. At the same time, I am currently developing a second version of the same entertainment idea: a show with a humanoid robot. Two completely different approaches, but they share the same initial question and are particularly suitable for events and functions that are not just about an effect, but about attitude, classification and a real impulse. People who want to book a robot for an event today rarely just book technology. They are booking a story, an image of the future, a moment of friction between man and machine.

Which robot would you rather deal with in the future?

My own approach to this topic is not a short-term trend. I completed my mechanical engineering degree in theater and event technology at what is now the Berlin University of Applied Sciences in 2008. The Humanoid Robotics course still exists there today. Even back then, I was less interested in feasibility than in the question of whether machines should be human-like at all. Since then, this question has accompanied me on stage and in discussions with companies looking for entertainment for their events, and whenever a show needs to be more than just a program item.

In recent years, humanoid robots have once again been increasingly featured in the media and keynotes. The best-known examples are Tesla’s Optimus, Altas from Boston Dynamics, as well as Figure, Unitree and NEO. The reasoning behind this is logical. If our world is built for humans, it makes sense to make machines human-like too. Two arms, two legs, a head with cameras that fits through doors, opens drawers and reaches light switches. This is understandable for industrial processes, logistics or service scenarios. But this is where the ambivalence begins, which is particularly visible on stage and which I consciously incorporate into my show.

The closer a machine is to a human being, the more sensitively we react to deviations. A look without expression. A movement that seems too fluid or is slightly delayed. A voice that answers without really being understood. This irritation can be a powerful entertainment element for an event. At the same time, however, it also shows how fine the line is. Do we really want a human-like robot that vacuums at home and looks at us without seeing us? I don’t ask this question in theory, but in practice when companies ask me to book a robot for their event.

Technology should be integrated into everyday life as unobtrusively as possible

My own attitude is clear. For me, the best robot is not one that looks human, but one that functions reliably. Its form is derived from its task. A gripper arm is honest in this sense. It does not promise to be human. It does not claim a closeness that it cannot deliver. It is precisely out of this conviction that I have developed my previous robot show. There is no humanoid android on stage, but a precise combination of gripper arm and tablet. The iPad is the visible user interface, the arm the executive organ. It is immediately clear to the audience what they are dealing with.

This image works amazingly well, especially for events and functions that focus on the future, innovation or transformation. I give the machine a purpose, it gives me back reliability. The result is not competition, but collaboration. For me, that is the essence of man with machine and the reason why this show is more than pure entertainment. It translates an abstract topic into an experience that can be seen, heard and understood. This is exactly what many companies are looking for when they want to book a robot for an event.

So when I play this act for companies, it’s never just about effects. It’s about working environments, responsibility and the question of how robots can be meaningfully integrated into processes. Machines take over precision, repetition and workload. Humans retain judgment, intuition and creativity. On stage, this separation becomes visible and open to discussion. The added value for the audience goes far beyond the moment of the show.

Development of the humanoid alternative is running in parallel

The opposite idea is currently emerging, not as a replacement, but as a deliberate contrast. For me, both acts belong together. The humanoid robot as a projection screen for expectations. The gripper arm as a sober, functional counter-model. For events, functions and strategic formats, this creates a range of entertainment that addresses different questions and provokes different reactions.

Here you can find more information about my previous robot show.