Interest in Robot Photo Booth?

MattHiro · Apr 14, 2015

Hey guys,

I'm planning on making a robot to take pictures for me for a friend's wedding, and I want to gauge the public interest/opinions and if there are uses for it outside of a personal project.

1) Would you guys be more or less interested in a photo booth if it was mobile and could roam around an event approaching guests for photos? Or would you guys be indifferent about it?

2) If there is interest, would you guys pay a premium (rent) for a roaming photo booth for your events?

3) And as a photographer or event manager, would you like full control of the robot, or have it autonomously roam around and be worried free?

waday · Apr 14, 2015

How does it 'roam'?

Is it like Roomba where it moves about until it hits something and then changes direction? Guests might not like that.

If you have full control over it, why not just walk around with a camera instead? Wouldn't you get better photos? And you wouldn't have to rent/buy the machine...

And what will it look like?

This seems pretty complex. I'd be real interested if you could pull it off efficiently and effectively. The government may also be interested.

MattHiro · Apr 14, 2015

@waday:
Right now, I'm planning to control the robot with an iPad/smartphone. It would roam by remote control. I'm gauging if there's interest to make it roam automatically. Of course, it wouldn't hit something, then change direction. It would be smart using computer vision/mapping (i.e. obstacle avoidance, human detection). This would be a long personal project to have some fun with.

I can walk around with a camera instead, but I would like the robot to take pictures of the event too like a photo booth (and it's not meant to replace a real photographer). Think of it as a mobile photobooth.

I was thinking of covering all the tech with something cute. Maybe the look of Wall-E?

waday · Apr 14, 2015

Just speaking generally, if you are trying to realistically 'gauge interest', you should probably do some actual market research, and not come onto a forum on the internet.

This is way far out of my level of expertise regarding technology development, so if you think you can pull it off, I say forge ahead. Then again, it's easy for me to say that, since I'm not invested in the project. And, I won't be.

How close are you to development? You say you are planning it for a friend's wedding, but this seems pretty time/money intensive. Do you think you can have a working prototype by that time? How big is it going to be? What about perspective. I've never seen Wall-E, but wouldn't the perspective be shooting from too low?

When I think of photo booth, I think of 'booth'. This likely won't be a booth. It'll just be a robot with a camera. What about all the props that people use?

How will it move around? Will the motor be loud and/or create noise? I'm guessing electric. Will the bride/groom want something there that will likely take attention away from them?

So many questions.

In any event, I'd definitely recommend getting some sort of insurance for several reasons, but mainly two: (1) if someone gets drunk enough and pushes it over or spills something on it, you can have the costs recouped.. that is, assuming an insurance company will insure it and (2) if the robot somehow knocks into someone or hurts someone, it will cover you.

tirediron · Apr 14, 2015

It sounds like an interesting concept, but one fraught with peril. While I can't comment on the technology side, the idea of having an autonomous or even semi-autonomous "booth" wandering around a crowded event sounds like an insurance nightmare.

limr · Apr 14, 2015

Well, technical or legal issues aside, if you're just looking for data on whether or not people might be interested...I'd have to say I wouldn't be. If I were attending an event, I personally would not want a robot wandering around taking pictures. It would kinda creep me out. It's already enough of an intrusion when live photographers are wandering around taking pictures, but a machine? No. A stationary booth is at least optional and I can completely ignore it if I choose. Plus, if I'm being completely honest, it would make me roll my eyes and wonder who the hosts are trying to impress.

As for hosting an event, again no, I would not have a robot at an event. If I really want the guest taking pictures not only for me but for their own purposes, I'd rather dish out the money on a bunch of Fuji Instax cameras and film. Let them take their own and get creative with it, and go home with an instant print while leaving some prints for me.

sm4him · Apr 14, 2015

In thinking about the many weddings I've been to--I'd say it would be HIGHLY problematic to try to have something "automatically" roaming about taking people's pictures. Someone WILL:
Run into it. Accidentally, or on purpose.
Trip and fall into it.
Spill something on it.

pixmedic · Apr 14, 2015

via Imgflip Meme Maker

480sparky · Apr 14, 2015

It might well be most of the smaller children would be terrified of it.... even if it DID look like Rodney Copperbottom.

sm4him · Apr 14, 2015

table1349 · Apr 14, 2015

I don't see it. A photo booth yes. But a robot photo booth that moves around. Not so much. I can see it being as much of an inconvenience as it would a convenience. Besides if it is truly like a photo booth how are you going to make sure the camera frames the subjects, has enough power to move, operate a camera and have a printer on board to spit out the photos.

If it was an autonomous self thinking robot that would be different story. It would also at this time be prohibitively expensive.

dennybeall · Apr 14, 2015

Interesting idea. However, I've never seen a wedding where it would be even slightly practical. Crowds milling, drunks stumbling, close quarters, waiters serving, wedding party moving around, all just a big jumble. If you've ever shot candid's at a wedding you know how chaotic it can be.

Derrel · Apr 14, 2015

tirediron said:
It sounds like an interesting concept, but one fraught with peril. While I can't comment on the technology side, the idea of having an autonomous or even semi-autonomous "booth" wandering around a crowded event sounds like an insurance nightmare.

All this paranoia about insurance. Insurance,insurance, insurance. Yammer,yammer,yammer... What could possibly ever go wrong at an event...

Photographer dies after freak fall at Andy Murray s wedding rehearsal - The Washington Post