Bartneck, C., Obaid, M., & Zawieska, K. (2013). Agents with faces - What can we learn from LEGO Minfigures. Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Human-Agent Interaction, Sapporo pp. III-2-1. Agents With Faces - What Can We Learn From LEGO Minifigures? Christoph Bartneck Mohammad Obaid HIT Lab NZ, University of Canterbury, HIT Lab NZ, University of Canterbury, PO Box 4800, 8410 Christchurch, New Zealand PO Box 4800, 8410 Christchurch, New Zealand Email:
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[email protected] Karolina Zawieska Industrial Research Institute for Automation and Measurements – PIAP, Al. Jerozolimskie 202, 02-486 Warsaw, Poland Email:
[email protected] Abstract—Emotional facial expressions are essential for well as work in groups and resolve conflicts [4]. agents. The LEGO company developed hundreds of facial ex- pressions for their Minifigures, which are often the centerpiece From the historical perspective play might be treated as a of LEGO construction. We investigate and present a summary of cultural practice that is being influenced by societal processes the development of the facial expression for all LEGO Minifigures and technological innovations. The way toys are produced and that were released between 1975 and 2010. Our findings are consumed as well as the way of thinking about childhood have based on several statistical tests that are performed on data changed significantly over the centuries leading to the current gathered from an online questionnaire. The results show that “culture of the child” [5], [6]. the LEGO company started in 1989 to dramatically increase the variety of facial expressions. The two most frequent expressions A discussion about the relationship between playing with are happiness and anger and the proportion of happy faces is specific toys and intellectual and emotional development is decreasing over time.