Ladies and Gentleman, we’re pleased to introduce Frankie!
In 2014, Frankie was the host and mascot of IBM at the CeBIT fair in Hanover.
Frankie is a virtual character whose universe consists of round islands that circulate through the digital ether of the IBM thematic world. At the fair, Frankie – in cooperation with human hostesses – traveled from island to island explaining IBM’s solution portfolio to visitors.
Frankie’s behavior was not solely regulated by computer algorithms, however. With an internally developed motion tracking system, two actors lent Frankie their voices as well as controlled gestures and facial expressions. An observer could rightly say, therefore, that although Frankie lives in the virtual world, he does have human intelligence.
I co-authored the script, translated it into English and worked with the performers – on and behind the stage.
