Dancing with Machines: Aesthetic interactions with an autonomous system
Read the latest blog from TAS Artists in Residence, Makers of Imaginary Worlds
As artists who create interactive sensory spaces for young audiences, the TAS (Trustworthy Autonomous Systems) Artists Residency was a chance for us to delve deeper into robotics and help narrow the gap between robotics and interactive arts for children. Though artists have used it for decades, robotics in art is still a relatively novel idea. In the 1920s, the Czech playwright Karel Čapek coined the word ‘Robot’ in his play, R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots). The theme of his play, man vs machines, is perforated in films about robots and the subject of many artworks. By the mid-twentieth century, there was a rise in artists’ and performers’ interest in robots for critical reflection, particularly around themes of human /robot relationships and ‘society’s obsession with technologies.’ [1] However, very little of this work was created for young audiences. Today most young children’s interactions with robots are through books, films and toys. Robots are a popular item in the children’s toy market; a recent report forecasted that there would be a significant rise in robotic toys over the next few years [2]. We are interested in designing work where children can engage with robots not as small toys but as imaginative embodied kinetic sculptures that can create novel, fun and empowering experiences.
Dancing with Machines: Aesthetic interactions with an autonomous system