Inside the robot a motor allows it to roll around, while sensors enable it to detect multiple situations (position, bump, ambient sound level, touch and battery level). These sensors, combined in complex ways, are wired to an internal computer, which gives it a particular personality. Adelbrecht speaks English with a Dutch accent (the author's own voice), and thus addresses viewers who engage it. Speech and behavior are generated in response both to the environment and the ways in which viewers interact with the robot. Speech and behavior are meaningful but unpredictable. If it gets stuck, it will ask for help. If it is left alone for a while, it will put itself to sleep. If it is petted, it will know and appreciate it. This work was shown publicly in its first version in 1984, in Amsterdam.
source:Robotic Art Chronology