A utility belt for an agricultural robot: reflection-in-action for applied design research

Clothing for robots can help expand a robot's functionality and also clarify the robot's purpose to bystanders. In studying how to design clothing for robots, we can shed light on the functional role of aesthetics. We present a case study of designing a utility belt for an agricultural robot. We use autoethnographic methods with reflection-inaction to consider the ways that observation, in situ making, and documentation serve to illuminate how pragmatic, aesthetic, and intellectual inquiry are layered in this applied design research project. Themes explored in this pictorial include 1) contextual discovery of materials, tools, and practices, 2) design space exploration of materials in context, 3) improvising spaces for making, and 4) social processes in design. These themes emerged from the qualitative coding of 25 reflection-in-action videos from the researcher. We conclude with feedback on the utility belt prototypes for an agriculture robot and our learnings about context, materials, and people needed to design successful novel clothing forms for robots.