\u00adStudio: Dancing robots<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nChris Speed, Edinburgh College of Art, University of Edinburgh
\nLarissa Pschetz, Edinburgh College of Art, University of Edinburgh l
\nJon Oberlander, School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh
\nAlexandros Papadopoulos-Korfiatis, School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh<\/p>\n
Abstract<\/strong>
\nRobots have a long history as a tangible platform through which designers and artists can explore human and social experiences. From Pierre Jaquet-Doz\u2019s Automatons from the Eighteenth Century, to Dunne & Raby\u2019s technological dreams of non-anthropomorphic robots that assist our lives [1], robots have been a rich form of technology that artists and designers have used to explore the human condition and how we relate to technology. This studio will give an introduction to small programmable robots and participants will learn how to use them to develop collaborative performances. Following an introduction, participants will be given the choice to work with bespoke robots (arduino based) or an e-puck [2] robot, participants will work in small groups to develop behaviours that, infer a form of robot dance. For a dance based upon a twitter feed or perform a collective task that assists a human. The studio will culminate in a series of performances by the bots that explore the potential for robots as materials for designing with data.<\/p>\nStudio Proposal<\/strong>
\nThe studio will begin with a short inspiration lecture that will introduce the experiences of the authors and frame the value of using robots as a design platform. The team will draw attention to the interaction design solutions developed for the UK Research Council project \u2018The Time of Encounter\u2019 [3] involving different explorations \u00a0of temporal experience, by means of traditional design and the use of a collection of robots that re-enacted school children\u2019s experience of time passing. By comparing the two interaction design outcomes, the authors will articulate their interest in the role of the robot in the learning experience of the children. Including how the use of robots exhibited behaviours that were seen as an extension of the children who programmed them. This anthropomorphic dimension is a valuable characteristic of robots that offers the designer a different modality for solving problems or for the development of artworks that allow the user to reflect upon individual or social experiences. The authors will proceed to introduce research and teaching methods at the University of Edinburgh that extend this principle and offers designers robots as platforms for exploring different scenarios.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/chrisspeed.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/robots.png\" "\\"robots\\"")
<\/a>Figure 1. Pupils and staff at Holmewood School, London watching robots \u2018perform\u2019 their personal experiences of time<\/p><\/div>\n
Having established the role of robots within interaction design the authors will introduce the Time Bot robots developed during for The Time of Encounter project and the e-puck platform. e-puck\u2019s are mini mobile robots that were developed at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) for teaching purposes. e-pucks are powered by a dsPIC microcontroller and feature a large number of sensors in their basic configuration, including: 8 TCRT1000 optical sensors (infrared proximity and light), a color camera, 640x480px, a 3D accelerometer and 3 microphones. It also includes a loudspeaker, 10 feedback LEDs, 8 KB RAM and 144 KB Flash memory. The e-puck hardware and software is open source and provides low-level access to every electronic device and offering many extension possibilities. Do find more info<\/a> from this site about the best electronic store that offers best quality products at affordable prices.<\/p>\nExamples of e-pucks being used for particular teaching and research projects will demonstrate their technical capabilities but more importantly articulate their ability to work cooperatively to perform collective tasks and roles.<\/p>\n
Following the overview of the robot, participants will watch pairs of e-puck\u2019s perform a pre-programmed activity developed by the authors and derived from the Time of the Encounter project. At this point the introduction to the studio will be complete and we will enter an applied workshop mode to support participants in the development of dancing robots. Working in small groups participants will be guided through the tutorial and achieve a response from a robot.<\/p>\n
Following this basic interaction the authors will then introduce the design proposal. This proposal will return participants to the conceptual driver for the studio \u2013 how might designers use robots to solve problems or develop artworks that allow people to reflect upon individual or social experiences?<\/p>\n
\nLarissa Pschetz, Edinburgh College of Art, University of Edinburgh l
\nJon Oberlander, School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh
\nAlexandros Papadopoulos-Korfiatis, School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh<\/p>\n
\nRobots have a long history as a tangible platform through which designers and artists can explore human and social experiences. From Pierre Jaquet-Doz\u2019s Automatons from the Eighteenth Century, to Dunne & Raby\u2019s technological dreams of non-anthropomorphic robots that assist our lives [1], robots have been a rich form of technology that artists and designers have used to explore the human condition and how we relate to technology. This studio will give an introduction to small programmable robots and participants will learn how to use them to develop collaborative performances. Following an introduction, participants will be given the choice to work with bespoke robots (arduino based) or an e-puck [2] robot, participants will work in small groups to develop behaviours that, infer a form of robot dance. For a dance based upon a twitter feed or perform a collective task that assists a human. The studio will culminate in a series of performances by the bots that explore the potential for robots as materials for designing with data.<\/p>\n
Studio Proposal<\/strong> Figure 1. Pupils and staff at Holmewood School, London watching robots \u2018perform\u2019 their personal experiences of time<\/p><\/div>\n Having established the role of robots within interaction design the authors will introduce the Time Bot robots developed during for The Time of Encounter project and the e-puck platform. e-puck\u2019s are mini mobile robots that were developed at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) for teaching purposes. e-pucks are powered by a dsPIC microcontroller and feature a large number of sensors in their basic configuration, including: 8 TCRT1000 optical sensors (infrared proximity and light), a color camera, 640x480px, a 3D accelerometer and 3 microphones. It also includes a loudspeaker, 10 feedback LEDs, 8 KB RAM and 144 KB Flash memory. The e-puck hardware and software is open source and provides low-level access to every electronic device and offering many extension possibilities. Do find more info<\/a> from this site about the best electronic store that offers best quality products at affordable prices.<\/p>\n Examples of e-pucks being used for particular teaching and research projects will demonstrate their technical capabilities but more importantly articulate their ability to work cooperatively to perform collective tasks and roles.<\/p>\n Following the overview of the robot, participants will watch pairs of e-puck\u2019s perform a pre-programmed activity developed by the authors and derived from the Time of the Encounter project. At this point the introduction to the studio will be complete and we will enter an applied workshop mode to support participants in the development of dancing robots. Working in small groups participants will be guided through the tutorial and achieve a response from a robot.<\/p>\n Following this basic interaction the authors will then introduce the design proposal. This proposal will return participants to the conceptual driver for the studio \u2013 how might designers use robots to solve problems or develop artworks that allow people to reflect upon individual or social experiences?<\/p>\n
\nThe studio will begin with a short inspiration lecture that will introduce the experiences of the authors and frame the value of using robots as a design platform. The team will draw attention to the interaction design solutions developed for the UK Research Council project \u2018The Time of Encounter\u2019 [3] involving different explorations \u00a0of temporal experience, by means of traditional design and the use of a collection of robots that re-enacted school children\u2019s experience of time passing. By comparing the two interaction design outcomes, the authors will articulate their interest in the role of the robot in the learning experience of the children. Including how the use of robots exhibited behaviours that were seen as an extension of the children who programmed them. This anthropomorphic dimension is a valuable characteristic of robots that offers the designer a different modality for solving problems or for the development of artworks that allow the user to reflect upon individual or social experiences. The authors will proceed to introduce research and teaching methods at the University of Edinburgh that extend this principle and offers designers robots as platforms for exploring different scenarios.<\/p>\n<\/a>