Unit 3: Robotics and Art

We see the robotics and art coupled in everyday products such as curved TV's, new cellphones, and prototype cars. For example, the BMW i8 concept car uses new technologies to create the hybrid performance car while encompassing a futuristic, artistic design (BMW USA News).

These products show how new technology was first created, and then artistic design followed. However, robotics is an interesting case because the concept was first derived in Karel Capek's play R.U.R, which popularized the concept of a human-like machine that can do labor intensive work (Koreis). As the sci-fi genre gain popularity during the past century, so has the ability for art to predict future technologies. One of my favorite movies growing up is iRobot, which further humanizes robots and shows a futuristic society where mass produced robots perform all service based jobs (Robotic Dystopias).

While these technologies might seem far fetched at first, culture's obsession with these art-driven concepts have pushed technologies passed boundaries we wouldn't expect. Atlas is a real-life robot with 28 degrees of freedom that can recognize its surroundings and perform basic tasks, such as walking upstairs, and search and rescue operations (DARPA).

These robots are still many years off before being a household item; however, 3D printing is a technology that is accessible to a large customer base, and is the current epitome of the integration of art and robotics. Arduino is a company that produces hardware and integrators that can be controlled using easy to learn softwares, such as C++ (Arduino - Introduction). Now, 3D printing allows a large amount of people to realize their artistic designs.

References

"A vision becomes reality" BMW USA News. BMW Group. 4 Mar. 2011. Web. 18 Apr. 2015 

Koreis, Voyen. "Capek's R.U.R." Karel Capek. Booksplendour. Web. 18 Apr. 2015. <http://www.booksplendour.com.au/capek/rur.htm>.

"Robotic Dystopias." I, Robot (2004) Analysis. Web. 18 Apr. 2015. <http://academic.depauw.edu/aevans_web/HONR101-02/WebPages/Spring2006/Akinbola(Mike)/I, Robot analysis.html>.

"Upgraded Atlas Robot to Go Wireless as the Stakes Are Raised for the DARPA Robotics Challenge Finals." DARPA RSS. 20 Jan. 2015. Web. 18 Apr. 2015. <http://www.darpa.mil/NewsEvents/Releases/2015/01/20.aspx>.

"Arduino - Introduction." Arduino - Introduction. Web. 18 Apr. 2015. <http://www.arduino.cc/en/Guide/Introduction>.