cosmolog

enter the robot

Most peculiar. Into my lap has landed a robot.
A couple of years ago Marcia Farquhar ran a project from Hamburg called "Artpal". I was invited to send something, whatever I wanted, to a certain individual in Hamburg. This I did and since then an exchange of packages has ensued. I've received a few things, video, a computer program . . . Last weekend my artpal was due to visit London and emailed to see whether we could meet (we never have). This wasn't possible because I had to go away, coincidentally to Hamburg, but I offered him the chance to stay in our house which he did. When I got home I found the robot sitting on the floor. So . . . now I have a robot.
One of the interesting things about it / him / her is that on its top there is a fixing for a camera. The robot is designed for exploring spaces. Artpal wrote that he originally wanted me to have it to send him film of where I lived, to "spy". Of course having stayed in my house this was no longer neccesary.
In the tradition of low tech extra planetary exploration I decided that robot could be put to good use exploring the Astrophysics department and to that end set it loose.
Its erratic behaviour suggests that some reprogramming is necessary before it can embark on an epic journey.

Here's a short film of an early stroll :

click on image to play movie

Posted by Jem Finer at February 6, 2004 3:24 PM