Prototype definition
Kindred
Digital presence, with a gentle physical touch.
Compliant robots for companionship, assistance, and human-directed physical interaction.
AI-generated concept imagery · imagined settings and equipment
Next review · October 2, 2026
One compliant-joint drawing and measurement protocol
Next physical candidate · Lead: Ben Đ Om
Acceptance: Fix a low-force envelope and measure displacement, force and stored energy before selecting an actuator.
Resources: Parts allowance not allocated. This is a planning allowance, not a funded commitment.
Download the experiment work pack · View the next work cycle
The vision
What this could become.
Give digital assistance a considerate physical presence: a robot that can share space, offer conversation, handle simple objects, and respond predictably to touch. Compliance, approachability, and the user’s choice of distance and interaction are central design requirements.
Begin today
The first concrete step.
Prototype one compliant arm or expressive tabletop body. Begin with low-force object exchange, clear stop controls, and a small set of understandable behaviors before attempting a full humanoid.
The LSM connection
Kindred is the embodiment branch of the program. LSM-inspired materials or actuation could be evaluated later; the first prototypes use measurable mechanical compliance and established controls. Artificial embodiment does not itself establish consciousness.
Current evidence & open ground
The proposal concerns a designed companion machine with transparent capabilities. Contact force, pinch points, stability, privacy, maintainability, and user comfort need testing; emotional benefit cannot be assumed from appearance alone.
Questions that move the work forward
- Which companionship tasks benefit from physical embodiment?
- How much compliance is needed for predictable contact across the motion range?
- Can the person easily pause interaction, remove stored data, and repair or replace parts?
Reciprocal interfaces
Neural Bridge helps a person direct a digital or physical system. Kindred helps a digital system act in the physical world under human control. Develop their shared interfaces without making one project depend on a claim of transferred consciousness.
Proposed milestones / not completed results
A path to evidence.
Yield
A compliant joint or arm with force sensing and a mechanical stop strategy.
Advance when: Measure force versus displacement, stored energy, and fault response.
Interact
A small set of consent-based gestures and object handoffs.
Advance when: Measure task reliability and comfort in a reviewed study.
Live alongside
A limited-duration companionship pilot in an appropriate setting.
Advance when: Assess usefulness, privacy, maintenance, and participant-defined boundaries.
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