The Control a Robot Exercise
Control a Robot is an fun and active exercise for couples to build trust, foster empathy and strengthen relationships.
Gather your group in a large, open space where you will soon be interacting. Ask your group to form into groups of two people, and adopt a random strategy to nominate who will be the ‘robot’ and the ‘controller.’
Invite the robot to keep their eyes closed at all times. The task of the controller is to guide the robot safely around the designated area, by using one of four distinct taps on the back or shoulder of the robot:
- One tap between shoulder blades = walk forward
- One tap on the left shoulder = turn 90 degrees to left
- One tap on right shoulder = turn 90 degrees to right
- Two quick taps between shoulder blades = stop walking
The primary goal of the controller is to prevent their robot from bumping into any obstacles, including other people.
After 30 to 60 seconds, ask each partnership to switch roles. After one or two rounds, ask each person to find a new partner to repeat the exercise.
Moment of Reflection
- Describe how it felt to be controlled by another person. Was this good or bad?
- At what times did you struggle to comply with the commands? Why?
- What strategies helped you to be successful?
- How might these observations help us to work effectively in teams?
The topics of this publication: interactions, teamwork, trust, foster relationships, leadership, cooperation, adaptability skills, empathy, integration
