The Robotics Institute

I come to robotics through many years of practice in kinetic sculpture, installation, electronic media and interactive media art practice. My primary focus is the dynamics of real space interaction (as opposed to virtualised interaction): the body in real space. Kinesthetic and somatosensory ways of relating to the world are therefore my focus, rather than textual or image/icon type communication. I use robotic and computer techniques to explore an as yet uncharted field of aesthetics: the aesthetics of behavior, of simulated interaction between a person and a machine: embodied cultural agents. My autonomous robotic artwork Petit Mal employs a combination of sonar and pyro-electric sensors to navigate its environment and interact with people. My two new projects include (1) a group (definitely not a flock) of robots which interact with each other and with people, and (2) an interactive videospace using machine vision for tracking.

In addition to my artistic practice I maintain an active critical writing practice on various subjects associated with technology and culture, electronic media art practice and robotic art. My position is inter-departmental; my classes (which include Robotic Art Studio and Gizmology) are listed with Art, CS and Robotics numbers.

Please see my CFA site for a preferred list of publications and a preferred list of works.