We Built a High-Fiving Robot and Took Him to SXSW

How does a People First agency make the right kind of statement at an event dedicated to technology and dominated by social media? By reminding people of the joys and wonders of real-world interaction.

We built GIMI-5, a karma bot that takes the love he receives online (via likes, shares, and mentions) and transforms it into the realest expression of affection: the high five.

GIMI-5’s physical manifestation, combined with the code that drives him, gives that warm, fuzzy feeling one experiences after receiving any kind of online engagement or interaction.

But GIMI-5 doesn’t just dispense high fives: he’s also a powerful analytics tool on wheels. Our lovable bot boasts a 360-degree camera attached to his head that captured content during his SXSW expedition. His arm has an accelerometer that counts every high five. And each time GIMI-5 distributed a high five, it was recorded on our microsite in a real-time counter. The site also hosted a feed of social media mentions, video, and photo content.

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