From an idea conceived by a director and a group of creative artists specialising in “character design” the project of a robot made of brake calipers and discs inspired by Brembo was born. Social networks went crazy but it was just a hoax. In any case, the company which is a leader in the braking systems industry decided to meet with the creators to evaluate a new communication project together.
Hundreds of Shares and Likes on Facebook, as well as dozens of telephone calls to resellers to ask for information on Brembot. Brembo's April Fool's joke, launched yesterday with a series of posts on the social networks, achieved success of epic proportions. The nth demonstration of the enormous trust that the public has in the brand, with 757 thousand followers on Facebook. Unfortunately however, despite a know-how that makes Brembo the leading company in the braking systems industry, Brembot is just science fiction.
The idea of Brembot, a robot made by assembling Brembo brake calipers and discs, was born out of the passion of a group of creative artists. The concept of the project is braking systems that detach from the vehicle to transform into Brembot thanks to the energy released during braking to thwart the dangers that every driver encounters in real life.
Thanai Bernardini – Director of Communication at Brembo – said “We found the metaphor of a road-safety robot and the strong references to Brembo values very appealing”. “The design and level of detail of Brembot components are exceptional and give the robot a convincing appearance. For the time being, the feasibility of the project as a production on an industrial level is clearly far from reality, however the character may represent a new means of communication and thus we decided to meet these young innovators.”
According to the theory of its creators, Brembot (abbreviated form of Brembo Robotics), becomes a Robot made out of braking components by using the kinetic energy that is released during braking. The brake discs and calipers unfasten from the vehicle and self-assemble into a character that comes to life and to prevent any immediate threat using considerable strength.
A potential mass-produced technological super hero, whose mission is to protect drivers and passengers from the risks they encounter on a daily basis while driving.
To announce the project, the group of creative professionals from Turin have opened a Facebook page packed with contents and have produced an animated video on how Brembot was developed. It was almost pure coincidence that Brembo visited Brembot’s Facebook page and decided to assess the idea developed by the young innovators. Video producer Gigi Roccati, who invented the project with comic creator Francesco "Matt" Mattina and a team of 3D animation specialists managed by Costantino Fracas, believes that this robot has the potential of becoming a reality and of being mass-produced as an accessory for cars fitted with Brembo brakes and thus sold on the market as an additional feature improving road safety.
The company holds no responsibility for the statements made by the young inventors; it has however decided to meet them to gain insight on their extravagant yet visionary proposal.
Gigi Roccati said: "I have always adored robots, whether in literature, comics or at the cinema. I believe a director is not merely a narrator but also an innovator and for this reason, inspired by the high technology and performance of Brembo products, I created a work group capable of conceiving this extraordinary creation. With Matt we worked on a captivating and tenacious design, while not forgetting to focus on Brembot’s functionality and feasibility. We are delighted that Brembo has finally decided to contact us."
If the project is appreciated within the company and its community of enthusiasts, Brembot could represent an innovative way for Brembo to raise road safety awareness on social networks and an opportunity to involve a target of young people and robotics enthusiasts.
Who said that the world of vehicle components is unable to work in conjunction with auteur animation?
