The Future of Robotics

In todays society more than ever there are robotic mechanisms that are changing the way we work, clean, or even play. In most homes you can find a robotic vacuum called a Roomba.  In almost every factory in the world there are robots responsible for assembling parts for a new product. The human race has been able to take much of its man power and convert it to mechanical power through the invention and progress of these finely tuned machines.We can only speculate as to what is on the horizon for robotics. One product I stumbled upon earlier this week was a drone called Lily.

Lily is a professional quality camera crew built into a flying robot.  It is capable of taking 1080p HD videos all while tracking your every movement. Lily is connected to a remote tracking device that the user places on their body. The user can change the angle and distance that the camera follows its tracking device. This camera is revolutionary for filmmakers as well as the average joe camera user. Costing only $799 buyers can create professional quality action shots anywhere they please. This is an incredible advancement in camera technology for the common man.

Video: Introducing the Lily Camera

Grids in Art

If we look at the most rudimentary forms of organization we can see resemblances to grids. Whether its the streets of Rome or the motherboard in a computer it is easiest for the human mind to line things up in a 2 axis linear fashion. We often see grids in art because it draws the human eye better than any other shape.

We find grids in a very tightly organized fashion in art such as the picture above. The grid gives the artist an ordered sequence in which to form their drawing or painting. In fact in beginning design classes all over the country students are being taught how to grid a smaller photo onto a larger canvas in order to keep proportionality. There are also grids in a much more abstract and disorganized fashion. The photo below illustrates such.

While this photo does not have the same direct order to it as the above painting we can still organize a grid. The form of the grid gives the viewer a pattern for their eyes to follow. In the second photo the eyes are initially drawn to the large white bar in the center. From there the viewer moves left and right in a linear manner following the many boxes created.

Flip Book Video

Here is the video of my 400 page flip book.

Art and Technology in the News

Technology has become so common place in our society we almost don't notice it. One way that we can use technology in an eye catching way is through art. Whether thats the use of a robot to paint a picture or using a microscope to view electron micro pictures we are advancing the integration of art and technology everyday. I recently found an article titled "Using a Laser as the World's Most Powerful Paintbrush" in the news.

This article talks about a man named Ben Tricklebank who was testing out new concept of art using a powerful laser projector on a California valley floor. Tricklebank bought the laser off of eBay for $600 dollars and the rest is history. He spent the next few months using the projector as a form of temporary graffiti that he could place on the landscape. Most laser exhibits are reactive to the environment such that if the viewer interacts with the lasers the exhibit will change. Ben had an idea of placing a new environment onto the existing one.

Blade Runner Comparisons

The movie Blade Runner is loosely based off of the book "Do Androids dream of Electric Sheep". The story places us in a dystopian future where androids are human like killing machines that have infiltrated society. It is the job of one cop Rick Deckard to find a band of Nexus machines that are in his city. The film is based in Los Angeles in the year 2019. The landscape is filled with high rise buildings and pitch black dark clouds. If we compare the depiction of society in the movie to what it is now we can see a few stark differences as well as some similarities. Because we are only 4 years from the setting of the movie we can make very accurate comparisons.
Flying Cars: While we are in the process of creating a self driven car we are far from the flying vehicles that are shown in the movie. The closest thing we have right now compared to flying cars is a overboard being developed by Lexus car company. This is one facet incorrectly represented.
Cultural Influences: In the streets on Los Angeles we find a mostly Japanese  influence on the cultural. Much of the side conversations are in Japanese. This isn't completely inaccurate as the U.S. has seen an influx of immigrants over the years. However the biggest representation is more Latino than Japanese.
Pollution: An interesting comparison that the film makers have is that of the pollution. In the film we see many of the buildings spewing dark fire and smoke from their roofs. While this is inaccurate as to what our buildings are like now it is a very interesting point on how pollutions is now. Global warming and the push for a more sustainable lifestyle is very prominent in todays society. Is the caused by the predictions in the film?