Humanoid or Gripper Arm?

I am currently asking myself exactly this question for my shows as a digital tech magician. I already work with an abstract robot in the form of a gripper arm at events. At the same time, I am developing a second version of the same entertainment idea, but with a humanoid robot. Two completely different approaches, but both particularly suitable for events that are not just about the show itself, but about the meaning behind it. It’s about two different forms of interaction between man and machine in the digital future.

Which robot would you rather deal with in the future?

My own approach to this topic goes back a long way. 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 also exists there. 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 as an iPad magician and in discussions with companies afterwards.

In recent years, humanoid robots have once again been increasingly featured in the media and keynotes. The best-known examples are Tesla’s Optimus, Boston Dynamics’ Atlas, 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 I deliberately incorporate into my program.

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 understanding. This is known as the “Uncanny Valley”. This irritation can be a powerful entertainment element for an event. At the same time, however, it also shows how thin the line is. Do we really want a human-like robot that vacuums at home and looks at us without seeing us? This is exactly the question I ask during my show, accompanied by digital magic.

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 doesn’t promise to be human and doesn’t play at closeness that it can’t fulfill. 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 attitude works particularly well at corporate events, which consist of a specialist audience. I give the machine a purpose, it gives me back reliability. The result is not competition, but cooperation. For me, that is the essence of my show “Man and Machine”.

So when I play this act at events, 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 on precision, repetition and stress. Humans retain judgment, intuition and creativity. In my show, this separation becomes visible and open to discussion. The added value for the audience goes far beyond the moment of entertainment.

Development of the humanoid alternative is running in parallel

Not as a replacement, but as a deliberate contrast, the opposite idea is currently emerging. 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, this creates a range of entertainment that addresses different questions and provokes different reactions.

You can book my “Robotainment” for your event. Here you can find more information about my current robot show.