Buoyant Choreographies: Harmonies of Light, Sound, and Human Connection

TL;DR

This paper introduces BALLU, a buoyant-legged robot with helium balloons that demonstrates stable, playful movement and artistic expression through an interactive installation merging robotics, sound, and human connection.

Contribution

The work presents a novel buoyant robot platform that combines stability, mobility, and artistic expression, extending its application in interactive art exhibitions.

Findings

BALLU can walk, jump, and interact safely with people.

The installation creates a dynamic visual and acoustic experience.

It emphasizes harmony between robotics and human connection.

Abstract

BALLU, the Buoyancy Assisted Lightweight Legged Unit, is a unique legged robot with a helium balloon body and articulated legs \fig{fig:fig1}. Since it is buoyant-assisted, BALLU is inherently stable, never falling over, while being able to walk, jump, and interact safely with people. The BALLU art installation builds on this playful platform to express fluidity, serendipity, and connection. It transforms robotic motion into an artistic visual and acoustic experience, merging technology and creativity into a dynamic, interactive display. This exhibition intentionally does not have a physical boundary for the robots, emphasizing the harmony of the technologies and humanity. This work significantly extends BALLU's existing permanent exhibition in the Seoul Robotics & Artificial Intelligence Museum, Seoul RAIM (https://anc.masilwide.com/2261), emphasizing the harmony of robotics and humanity through visual, acoustic, and physical expression.