Let's make sleeping in hotels in strange cities far from home even creepier than it already is! The Ibis hotel chain will treat 40 of its guests in London, Paris and Berlin to sensor-equipped beds that relay nocturnal sounds, temperatures and movements to a robot equipped with paintbrushes that will, for some reason, transform the data into acrylic paintings. It's called the "Sleep Art Project," and it was dreamed up by ad agency BETC Paris. Perhaps the hotel could just remember to deliver the clean towels instead? Coverage of the campaign around the Web has featured predictable alliteration like "robo Rembrandts" and "cyborg Cezannes," but I prefer mechanized Monets, because I get the impression that these artworks will really suck. Judging from the promo video below, that bot better not quit its day job at the semiconductor plant. Also note the suggestively dripping paintbrush, the woman's sensual sheet-covered moves and her satisfied smile upon waking. Now, I'd gladly pay $5 extra for a room with a sexbot—$10 if it doubled as a minibar. These Ibis robots just paint, and they're kept at a remote location—which is probably a good thing, as they can't stretch out their metal claws and demand a tip for not killing you in the night.
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