WE, THE ROBOTS (2016)
Carlos Martin, Helena Frijns & Lucia Martin.
Hello World (2019)
Nicole de Groot, Joost Mollen & Max Peeperkorn
I chose these two projects because they are closely related to my interests but also touch upon the same thematics. These works present an inquiry in robotic behaviour and morphology. I like that both works are designed to function in a specific context, which I think is essential to consider when exploring these themes thoroughly.
WE, THE ROBOTS, displays three animal-like robots that are trained width artificial neural networks. The robots learned to interact with humans by the use of a distance sensor. Based on approximation, the robots could extend towards the human in front of them. To me, it plays with the idea of control, does the robot control the human or does the human control the robot, resulting in a dynamic interaction between man and machine.
Hello World, questions the purpose of robots in a public context. Are they designed to fulfil a purpose? Or are they cohabitants living parallel to us humans? The robots morphology consists of a black wire and what looks to be a cardboard box that vibrates at random intervals. With the behaviour that they present, you could argue that these beings are 'alive'. Why do humans not treat them as equal and instead see them as useless machinery? I believe that the work its strength resides in its simplicity of shape and the presented behaviour. The work makes you think, and as a result of that thinking, new questions arise that could lead to further research.
References
https://sites.google.com/site/newmedianewtechnology2016/portfolios/carlos/we-the-robots
https://sites.google.com/site/newmedianewtechnology2019/portfolios/max/parallel