  Reconfiguring shapes of objects enables transforming existing passive objects
with robotic functionalities, e.g., a transformable coffee cup holder can be
attached to a chair's armrest, a piggy bank can reach out an arm to 'steal'
coins. Despite the advance in end-user 3D design and fabrication, it remains
challenging for non-experts to create such 'transformables' using existing
tools due to the requirement of specific engineering knowledge such as
mechanisms and robotic design.
  We present Romeo -- a design tool for creating transformables to robotically
augment objects' default functionalities. Romeo allows users to transform an
object into a robotic arm by expressing at a high level what type of task is
expected. Users can select which part of the object to be transformed, specify
motion points in space for the transformed part to follow and the corresponding
action to be taken. Romeo then automatically generates a robotic arm embedded
in the transformable part ready for fabrication. A design session validated
this tool where participants used Romeo to accomplish controlled design tasks
and to open-endedly create coin-stealing piggy banks by transforming 3D objects
of their own choice.
