An unusual petition has landed on the desk of Zakopane Mayor Łukasz Filipowicz. The author calls for the creation of a “robo-horse” and a “robo-teddy bear” as new cultural symbols in the Tatra Mountains. The petition will be processed. Such robots are a viable and attractive form of education, say science popularizers.
– This petition is a call for a wake-up call… perhaps a greater wake-up call for this municipal council to understand that the source of conflicts lies directly in certain omissions… perhaps underfunding, lack of a program, strategy – we read in the justification of the petition.
Detailed proposals include the functions such “robo-animals” should fulfill: electric or even nuclear propulsion, realistic sound and visual effects, the ability to interact via a mobile app, and an attractive, “Caesar-futuristic” design. The author suggests engaging technical universities in the project, and constructing the structures from materials inspired by local crafts, such as wood.
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The petition also features comparisons and provocations. Its author points out that robots have long since replaced humans in camel racing in Arab countries. It also suggests that the mayor of Zakopane “engage in dialogue and discernment” in this very area, where tradition and technology go hand in hand.
Although the idea seems absurd, experts emphasize that technology already allows the implementation of such solutions.
“Robotics is a rapidly developing field of science. Four-legged machines already exist that move efficiently and are used not only in crisis situations but also in social interactions,” Katarzyna Nowicka from the Copernicus Science Centre told PAP.
She adds that the Copernicus Science Center also features a robotic dog, SPOT, which each visitor can control independently. This interaction with the robot is meant to acclimate us to modern technology: “I think the fact that robots are robots and different from living animals is an advantage, and interacting with a robotic dog is an even more interesting attraction. Living animals can be encountered in different circumstances that don't harm their well-being,” the expert notes.
In her opinion, a robot stylized as a teddy bear or a horse, especially one embedded in a local cultural context, could be both a tourist attraction and a form of modern education.
Although the Copernicus Science Centre doesn't design robots itself, she points to the growing number of universities and companies that are doing so. “We could consider collaborating with a local university of technology—it would be an interesting project combining culture, technology, and regional identity,” Nowicka emphasizes.
The mayor of Zakopane, Łukasz Filipowicz, confirmed that the document had been registered as an official petition. “The office receives many interesting letters, but this one definitely stands out for its inventiveness. I appreciate the author's ingenuity, although implementing such attractions obviously falls outside the City Hall's remit,” Filipowicz told PAP.
The mayor noted that the petition will be submitted to the complaints and petitions committee, in accordance with applicable procedures. “If such inventions ever actually appear in public spaces, we will consider them,” Filipowicz added.
The letter was published in the Public Information Bulletin. It is not yet known when the municipal government committee will consider it. Although the petition is meant as a joke, it also contains a number of more serious reflections on the direction of Zakopane's development and the clash between tradition and modernity. (PAP)
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