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| Sulu.be | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Founder | Jan De Coster |
| Headquarters | Mechelen, Belgium |
| Industry | Robotics, Art and design |
| Products | Steve robot |
| Website | sulu.be |
Sulu.be (previously known as Slightly Overdone) is a Belgian design and robotics studio founded by Jan De Coster, a designer and maker who has been creating interactive projects for over 20 years. Since 2012, De Coster's focus has been on robots and their place in society. Sulu.be operates at the intersection of art, communication, advertising, education, and public engagement with robotics, specializing in crafting innovative experiences and narratives around robots. The studio's most well-known creation is Steve, a 210-centimeter-tall humanoid robot that has served as a public-facing figure at events and campaigns across Belgium.[1][2]
Jan De Coster has been making interactive projects for over 20 years. He studied design and works at Flanders Make, a strategic research center for the manufacturing industry in Belgium. Since 2012, his professional focus has shifted to robots and their role in society, exploring how robotic characters can bridge the gap between technology and human experience.[1][3]
The studio operates under the name Sulu.be and previously used the name Slightly Overdone.
Steve is a 210-centimeter-tall humanoid robot created by Jan De Coster. The first concept sketches for Steve originated in the spring of 2013. Steve's name is borrowed from Steve McQueen.
Steve was brought to life in 2014 through a collaboration with Brightfish, a Belgian media company. Brightfish commissioned De Coster to build a robot, and Steve became a Brightfish employee. In 2015, Steve spearheaded several campaigns in movie theaters across Belgium.[4]
Steve was designed not as a functional tool or assistant, but as a character meant to evoke curiosity and connection. With its expressive yet minimalist form and calm, towering presence, Steve represents a unique fusion of robotics and theater. The robot functions as a bridge between machine and audience, inviting people to reflect on how technology fits into human rituals and spaces through personality and emotional resonance rather than through efficiency.[2]
Steve has appeared at the Technopolis Robot Expo and various other events, exhibitions, and campaigns in Belgium, serving as a point of interaction between the public and the concept of humanoid robotics.[5]
Sulu.be's work is distinguished from conventional robotics companies by its emphasis on narrative and emotional design rather than industrial functionality. De Coster's robots are designed to tell stories, provoke thought, and create shared experiences between humans and machines. This approach positions Sulu.be within the emerging field of social robotics and robotic art, where the goal is to explore the cultural and emotional dimensions of human-robot interaction.[1]