Month: February 2015

DATE – 2015
DISCIPLINE – Art
MEDIUM – Telepresence robotic sculpture
STATUS – Permanent installation
WEBLINKS
Frøken Mobi
English translation
Høstferien

“Froken MOBI” is a robotic sculpture that is installed as a permanent exhibit at the Vitenfabrikken Science Centre in Sandnes, Norway. The robot lives in its own custom built house that is located in the main lobby and comes out to meet guests 2 times a day. “Froken MOBI” is classified as a remotely controlled telepresence robot which is operated from a distance via a wireless Internet connection by a human operator who can see through her eye, listen via her microphone. and speak through her speakers. She could be located in the same building or on the other side of the world.

The robot “Froken MOBI” is a further development of this cooperation, where art and technology combined with dialogue and communication with children is central. In the summer of 2015 she moved into Casa Mobius, a small house that stands in the cafe area at the Science Center. She actually comes from the Netherlands and is the youngest member of the large robot families that Graham Smith has created. “Froken MOBI” both lives and works at the Science Center. The main job she has is to greet and chat with guests, preferably children. She also tries to keep up with what’s happening at the house to tell this on to the visitors. Other times she must rest a little in his house and charge up.

“Froken MOBI” has her own Facebook page where she tells a little about life at the Science Center. Follow her here.

DATE – 2015
DISCIPLINE – Art
MEDIUM – Kinetic sculpture
STATUS – Displayed at Delft Sculpture Park from 2014 to 2015

“Undulations” is a solar powered kinetic sculpture that was installed at the Delft Sculpture Park in the Netherlands from Sept 2014 to Feb. 2015. The piece reacts to its environment like a plant in nature by storing solar energy and discharging it as motion into the environment. Its limbs hold clusters of solar cells that accumulate power, which is released in a wavelike pulse into a 10m tall spring that hangs vertically like a stainless steel stem. During sunny periods a mechanism creates quick intervals of waveforms in the vertically hanging spring, during cloudy periods the cycle of waves slows down, at night the piece stops completely and goes to sleep when the sun goes down and then at sunrise it awakens with the first light that re-energizes the system. The piece represents a balanced technological ecosystem that takes in and releases compatible levels of energy in relation to its habitat. “Undulations” was funded through a Media Arts grant from the Canada Council of the Arts.