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How Artists Improvise and Provoke Robotics

Steve Benford, Rachael Garrett, Eike Schneiders, Paul Tennent, Alan Chamberlain, Juan Avila, Pat Brundell, Simon Castle-Green

Abstract

We explore transdisciplinary collaborations between artists and roboticists across a portfolio of artworks. Brendan Walker's Broncomatic was a breath controlled mechanical rodeo bull ride. Blast Theory's Cat Royale deployed a robot arm to play with a family of three cats for twelve days. Different Bodies is a prototype improvised dance performance in which dancers with disabilities physically manipulate two mirrored robot arms. We reflect on these to explore how artists shape robotics research through the two key strategies of improvisation and provocation. Artists are skilled at improvising extended robot experiences that surface opportunities for technology-focused design, but which also require researchers to improvise their research processes. Artists may provoke audiences into reflecting on the societal implications of robots, but at the same time challenge the established techno-centric concepts, methods and underlying epistemology of robotics research.

How Artists Improvise and Provoke Robotics

Abstract

We explore transdisciplinary collaborations between artists and roboticists across a portfolio of artworks. Brendan Walker's Broncomatic was a breath controlled mechanical rodeo bull ride. Blast Theory's Cat Royale deployed a robot arm to play with a family of three cats for twelve days. Different Bodies is a prototype improvised dance performance in which dancers with disabilities physically manipulate two mirrored robot arms. We reflect on these to explore how artists shape robotics research through the two key strategies of improvisation and provocation. Artists are skilled at improvising extended robot experiences that surface opportunities for technology-focused design, but which also require researchers to improvise their research processes. Artists may provoke audiences into reflecting on the societal implications of robots, but at the same time challenge the established techno-centric concepts, methods and underlying epistemology of robotics research.

Paper Structure

This paper contains 15 sections, 4 figures.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Portfolio
  3. The Broncomatic
  4. Cat Royale
  5. Different Bodies
  6. Reflections
  7. Improvisation
  8. Provocation
  9. Ethical:
  10. Conceptual:
  11. Methodological:
  12. Epistemological:
  13. Conclusion
  14. Acknowledgments.
  15. Disclosure of Interests.

Figures (4)

  • Figure 1: Broncomatic rider progressing to level 2 of the thrill ride.
  • Figure 2: Left: The Broncomatic control interface. Right: Using Lego Mindstorm technology to safely manipulate the controls.
  • Figure 3: Left: Control room with view into the environment through one-way mirrors. Right: Clover playing with a piece of string offered by the robot.
  • Figure 4: Dancers with different disabilities dancing in harmony with a pair of Franka robot arms. To ensure safety, each robot is independently monitored and equipped with an emergency stop button for immediate cessation of operations if needed.