Week 3: Robotics and Art

Robotics and Art

I found this week’s topic on art and robotics quite fascinating. I am a great fun of science fiction and was not surprised when professor Vesna pointed out in her lecture that art has greatly influenced technology. The example she gave of how the idea of robots was first presented in movies was clear and wholly explained how art and robotics relate. I also got to know that it is not only art that influences technological innovations but advancement in technology also influences art.

Artistic Drawing of a Robot

www.trendhunter.com

In “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction” Walter Benjamin points out that not only does technology have positive impacts on art, but it also influences art in a negative way. Additionally, he discusses the evolution of art over various periods including the industrialization period. He points out the various perspective of art and goes back in time in a bid to trace how advancement in technology has influenced art.

Painter Robot

www.trendhunter.com

Science fiction movies usually combine art and robotics. One such move is Pacific Rim, a movie directed by Guillermo Del Toro. In the movie, Earth is invaded by monsters that kill people and destroy buildings indiscriminately.

Pacific Rim Robot

ademonsvoice.blogspot.com

To engage the monsters which have emerged from an interdimensional portal in the Pacific Ocean, people build gigantic robots controlled by two pilots. The visuals used in the movie are sophisticated.  This movie clearly shows how art and robotics can be combined. This movie might even inspire future technological innovations where we might start using giant robots to do various things such as constructing building and moving heavy loads.

  

Works Cited

Vesna, Victoria. Lecture part 1, 2, 3. “Robotics + art. 19 Oct 2013. <https://cole2.uconline.edu/courses/63226/wiki/unit-3-view?module_item_id=970429>

Benjamin, Walter. The Work of Art in Age of Mechanical Reproduction. Marxists. 1936. N.p.Web. 19 Oct 2013. <http://www.marxists.org/reference/subject/philosophy/works/ge/benjamin.htm>.

Thinking ahead. Robots and art. 2011. N.p.Web. 19 Oct 2013. <http://thinkinghead.edu.au/ra2011/>

Lim, Angelica.What Roboticists Can Learn From Art, and What Artists Can Learn From Robots.2013. N.p.Web. 19 Oct 2013. <http://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/diy/what-roboticists-can-learn-from-art>

Ganson, Arthur. Machines. 2013. N.p.Web. 19 Oct 2013. <http://www.arthurganson.com/pages/Sculptures.html>