Robotics and art have become synonymous with the 21st century.
I’ll never forget the first time I ever saw a robot in person. I was in fourth grade, and I had gone to Disneyland one weekday with my family. We waited in line to see a show with ASIMO, a robot created by Honda. Those 15 minutes were some of the most awestruck moments of my life-- ASIMO was an incredible intelligent machine, as demonstrated by his ability to walk, talk, climb stairs, and perform a multitude of other tasks. Originally developed to provide assistance to the disabled, Honda’s robotics program is one of the most advanced in the world. ASIMO is made of magnesium alloy and covered with a plastic resin, and is the most humanoid robot in the world (American Honda Co., 2015). Through studying the walk of insects, mammals, and mountain climbers with prosthetic legs, therefore exemplifying the was in which researches utilized natural design to create man-made robotic design (Obringer, Strickland, 2015).
[video of ASIMO on LIVE with Kelly and Michael]
ASIMO has found a home as a star attraction at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California.
As Walter Benjamin stated, “One of the foremost tasks of art has always been the creation of a demand which could be fully satisfied only later” (Benjamin, 1936). Robots seem to be the ultimate definition of this idea; by incorporating art design and science technology, we successfully develop new technological design which is rapidly and vastly improved upon as our understanding of robotics advances. The rising demand for robotic technology after the rise of the Industrial Revolution is ever-increasing and ever-expanding (Blackstone, 2015).
Society responds to this industrialization by demanding new artistic forms, and in the present century, new technological forms. Robotics attempts to blend these two subjects as one-- by incorporating the most advanced technology with the elements of art and design, researchers are able to utilize both “cultures” to create one end product. Robotic technology has become a form of art, because, quite simply, “art is a search for emotion,” and as we strive to create human-like robots, we also strive toward achieving artistic credibility (Lim, 2013).
References:
American Honda Motor Co. Inc. “ASIMO: The World’s Most Advanced Humanoid Robot.” ASIMO. Web. 2015. Accessed. 15 April 2015. http://asimo.honda.com/Inside-ASIMO/
Benjamin, Walter. “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction.” Print. 1936.
Blackstone, John. “Robots open up the world of art.” CBS News. Web. 1 March 2015. Accessed 15 April 2015. http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/robots-open-up-the-world-of-art/
Lim, Angelica. “What Roboticists Can Learn From Art, and What Artists Can Learn From Robots.” IEEE Spectrum. Web. 2 May 2013. Accessed 15 April 2015. http://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/diy/what-roboticists-can-learn-from-art
Obringer, Lee Ann, and Strickland, Jonathan. “How ASIMO Works.” How Stuff Works. Web. 11 April 2007. Accessed 15 April 2015. http://science.howstuffworks.com/asimo.htm
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