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Everything Is a Robot (and Nothing Is)

A. Ingold, Jessica R. Cauchard, Lisa May Thomas, Kristina Höök, Ellen Weir, Anne Roudaut, Alice Haynes, Amy Winters, Zhuzhi Fan
May 10, 2026
Published Date

Research Abstract & Technology Focus

What is a robot, and who gets to decide? As robots evolve beyond metallic humanoids into drones, inflatable architectures, shape-changing materials, AI agents, and garments, the category itself is breaking apart. Human-Computer Interaction and Human-Robot Interaction are not just responding to this shift, they are actively reshaping it. With its focus on interaction, embodiment, proxemics, aesthetics, and lived experience, HCI offers unique tools to interrogate and redefine the essence of robotics. This two-session workshop brings together researchers, designers, and provocateurs to map emerging definitions, challenge disciplinary boundaries, and build a research roadmap for the future of HCI-driven relational robotics. Together, we will explore what robots are becoming and what they could be when interaction takes center stage.

Correlated Market Trend: Computer Science

Bridging academia to market: The 60-day public search velocity mapping directly to the core technology of this paper. Dashed line represents 7-day moving average.

AI Semantic Synergy Context

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openalex.org › research concept
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Everything Is a Robot (and Nothing Is)

What is a robot, and who gets to decide? As robots evolve beyond metallic humanoids into drones, inflatable architectures, shape-changing materials, AI agents, and garments, the category itself is ...

stackexchange.com › answer
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How does 'everything is a file' not contradict 'do one thing and do it well'?

Everything isn't a file. Everything exposes an interface that works as if it was a file. So all the bits "do one thing well" but they all can be used the same way. A bit like all the tools in your ...

stackexchange.com › answer
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How does 'everything is a file' not contradict 'do one thing and do it well'?

This is a false dichotomy. There are following options: everything is a file do one thing well do not work at all on a general purpose OS. File is an interface (one of) of an general purpose oper...

roipad.com › trend story
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Robot Losing Its Mind in a California Restaurant Is Just as Fed Up as Everyone Else

Dance like no one's watching.

stackexchange.com › answer
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How does 'everything is a file' not contradict 'do one thing and do it well'?

Not only there is no contradiction—both go the same way. “Do one thing and do it well” encourages composition over monolith. For instance, instead of having one huge application that makes it possi...

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Curated market intelligence mapped to this research.

What is the core focus of the research titled 'Everything Is a Robot (and Nothing Is)'?

This literature focuses on: What is a robot, and who gets to decide? As robots evolve beyond metallic humanoids into drones, inflatable architectures, shape-changing materials, AI agents, and garments, the category itself is breaking apart. Human-Computer Interaction and Hum...

Which startups are commercializing the technology behind Everything Is a Robot (and Nothing Is)?

Products like Gemini Robotics ER 1.6 are bringing this to market. Their focus is: Google's SOTA robotics model for visual & spatial reasoning!.

What other academic literature is closely related to 'Everything Is a Robot (and Nothing Is)'?

Yes, highly correlated activity was mapped. An entry titled 'Everything Is a Robot (and Nothing Is)' discusses this: What is a robot, and who gets to decide? As robots evolve beyond metallic humanoids into drones, inflatable architectures, shape-changing materials...

How is the concept of 'Everything Is a Robot (and Nothing Is)' being discussed by engineers on StackExchange?

Yes, highly correlated activity was mapped. An entry titled 'How does 'everything is a file' not contradict 'do one thing and do it well'?' discusses this: Everything isn't a file. Everything exposes an interface that works as if it was a file. So all the bits "do one thing well" but they all can be us...

Are there commercial applications of 'Everything Is a Robot (and Nothing Is)' in market news publications?

Yes, highly correlated activity was mapped. An entry titled 'Robot Losing Its Mind in a California Restaurant Is Just as Fed Up as Everyone Else' discusses this: Dance like no one's watching.

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Commercial Realization

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