creating with cobots
In the world of interactive art, very few pieces have a permanent, physical outcome. In response to this observation, the author developed two "cobots", or collaborative robots, designed to create physical pieces of art in a direct partnership with their human audience. This concept was refined by examining several of the author's inspirations, including the drawings of artist Sol Lewitt, the Etch-a-Sketch, the robots of artist/technologist Lionel Moura, and the work of Kelly Dobson. After many conceptual and technical considerations, two robotic drawing machines, one designed to respond to the shadows cast by its users, the other designed to respond to sounds produced by it's audience, were successfully developed, built, and tested. This project aims to explore both the notion of collaborative relationships between humans and technology, and the practice of collaborative human/machine art making.
robotics drawing machines human-machine collaboration familiar interfaces generative art