Tweenbots, a human-object social experiment of space and interaction by the fabulous Kacie Kinzer is one of those ridiculously cute sociology experiments that make you feel better about the human race.

In short, Kacie sent a small little cardboard robot (who could travel in straight lines unassisted) out into New York with nothing more than a flag which said ‘Help Me!’ and a destination.

Kacie said “The results were unexpected. Over the course of the following months, throughout numerous missions, the Tweenbots were successful in rolling from their start point to their far-away destination assisted only by strangers. Every time the robot got caught under a park bench, ground futilely against a curb, or became trapped in a pothole, some passerby would always rescue it and send it toward its goal. Never once was a Tweenbot lost or damaged. Often, people would ignore the instructions to aim the Tweenbot in the “right” direction, if that direction meant sending the robot into a perilous situation. One man turned the robot back in the direction from which it had just come, saying out loud to the Tweenbot, “You can’t go that way, it’s toward the road.””

Surprisingly, the cute little guy made it to his destination in 42 minutes with 29 interventions from the passing public.

Doesn’t that make you feel all warm and fuzzy? That strangers went out of their way to help a smiling, 10 inch cardboard cutie on its way, with no payment whatsoever? Go them, I say. :)