It amuses me to no end that my son is afraid of the Roomba. He has always been afraid of it. Watching it. Jumping onto the couch and watching it. Following it from room to room, while staying a safe distance away. Standing on my feet when it gets too close. It is this fear that inspired me to put a face on it.
One time while playing, he knocked it from its dock, causing it backup and repeated try to redock.
Roomba wakes up!
You’ve disturbed it from its slumber.
Yeah!
Now it must wander… feeding. Feeding a hunger that can never be sated.
Yeah!
At the same time though, I try to explain to him that everything is fine. It can’t eat him. It’s dumb and can’t see so it bumps into things. That you can turn it on and off by pressing the button on top. You can send it away and make it go back home by pressing another button on the top. He knows this, and he’s proud when he presses the button and makes it return to the dock, but at the same time, he won’t do it on his own. He needs encouragement.