To achieve acceptance the robots have adopted several strategies:

Inspired by natural methods of adaptation, they have shunned the stereotypical look normally associated with robots and adopted a contemporary fashionable design aesthetic. In this way they resemble exclusive furniture and household accessory.

There is the utilitarian aspect. They eliminate certain creatures commonly regarded as pests from our homes. One robot tells the time, others have the functionality of furniture.

They entertain. The robots utilise strategies of predatory insects, reptiles and plants in the acquisition of food. Once captured, the robot’s microbial fuel cell converts this organic matter into electrical energy. This gives them autonomy and to a degree they become living entities existing in a similar way to an exotic pet such as a snake or a lizard. They perhaps compete with the spectacle of life seen in television programs such as Big Brother, Wife Swap or edited and dramatised depictions of war. In this way they inspire new forms of human/robot interaction based on suspense, anticipation, intrigue and potential.