Abstract

The project explores the world of the Automata, in particular 18th Century precedents and vivisections of found toys. Through the reverse engineering process, a focus in research emerged: the uncanny. My initial focus was on the movement of these Automata, and what was it about the actions of these somewhat aesthetically life like figures that evoke such a ‘pleasurable’ response from the public. For me it’s this uncanny movement of the automaton that responds to our psyche. Freud and Jentsch define the uncanny as a response to the unfamiliar, the ‘unhomely’, a fear of the unknown. Freud relates this human response to a human repression of familiar elements of our childhood that are now reintroduced out of context. A human response is seen in public reaction to Descartes’ mechanized doll of his late daughter, and the talking doll of Thomas Edison. The following project explores these issues of uncanny and artificial intelligence through the production of a ‘monster’.

The monster is a working model for acquiring random, self-motivated movement. Beginning with a collection of toys, the parts have been reduced to the simple gear and motor cases that will create their movement. Photovoltaic sensors are used to stimulate movement within each device, from its exterior environment. Interfacing becomes a lesson in switches, where my project focuses on the production of tilt switches to create a variety in movement. The switch becomes a synaptic charge within the beast, in the hopes of stimulating self-directed movement. Further development focuses on the creation of a proscenium for the device, too work towards allowing the ‘autistic child’ to interact more deeply with the inhabitants of its space. My interest lies in the uncanny response, and how this issue of interface can be applied to architectural form. I have chosen trace experiments and analysis as one way of exploring the relationship between beast, its stage and the site around it.

Review

I received some really good feedback from the review. First was the discussion of how the device appears uncanny. There were suggestions that i should be using thermal sensors, instead of light sensors. The thermal sensor makes more sense for human detection. Ken Gregory recommended full use of the Arduino and to create pauses within the device to give the appearances of thought. I am not sure if i will abandon the switches just yet, but the pause i believe are crucial to the uncanny nature. The switches i believe are capable of pauses much more realistically than an Arduino. The randomness of the device has been a bit lost as i have pushed it further along, apparent in the proscenium. My interest lies in the uncanny, and its discussion about interface within architecture. I am currently reading The Architectural Uncanny: exploring the psychological reaction and relationship between occupant and space. Perhaps i can look into the relationship between the subconscious and the space we occupy, exploring in more depth about this duality, Cartesian dualism, and conflict between what Freud refers to as our repressed thoughts and our current situation.

More analysis of the movement, and the space it creates are my focus now: more importantly the relationship between the outside stimulus and the device tracing . The layer of interface between these two is what i want to understand more to develop how the structure can influence us.

Tracing movement

When i started to trace the movement, some interesting things came up. When the device moves its creates a clean geometric pattern, sometimes broken up because of the stopping of the arms ( due to too much weight on the arms) . When the proscenium is moving, the traces become random and chaotic. Some of the photos turned out nice when the proscenium begins to move (not just along the linear direction of the suspension line) along the upper suspension lines. The patterning is still circular through space but not symmetrical or predicatable, which is interesting. Also the tension movement, the bounce due to the object's weight, shows shifts in the geometric patterning: revealing a response of the device's movement to the prosceniums tension.Further exploration needs to look into the human interaction with the trace movement.

Proscenium up and running

The proscenium is now operational, but still a few glitches. Weight causes friction between the wood axles at each gear. When the pole is at 45 degree angle to the double suspension line above, friction between the bracket and pole slows and halts movement. Lubrication was a key to resolving some of those issues. The power, amperage, another issue, was resolved by wiring a separate power supply to each motor. In the future a more efficient gear system will probably help. I started to get the Arduino programmed and trying to figure out a way to reverse polarity on the motors through Arduino. I looked at using relays, using the Arduino to switch the polarity through a blink program. My decision to go this route instead of the switches is due to the nature of the tilt. I guess i could just abandon the floor device all together and use its inputs for the upper motors. I also used the extra tilt switch i had from before, located on the tail, to interrupt the device pulley along the suspension line, creating some pause input into the devices movement. Not only is the random important but the pause as well, something I noticed from earlier: I have been trying to replicate with switches all this time. The light sensors provide some interruption in movement, some pause, but its so direct that the uncanny gets lost.

Simplifying the proscenium

After puting up two suspension lines to carry the main suspension line rod, i started to notice the littlest vibration carry through out the system. What was interesting was the movement of the vibration, you could see it carry back and forth from one suspension line to another through the movement of the suspension rod. Perhaps the feed back of the structure might not be from the device but surrounding movement in the building.

Here are some pics showing the device that will carry the suspension line and device. One thing i noticed was that when i used a battery vs the power source at 9 volts, the power source had better success. Perhaps half the problem with the lack of movement is not enough amperage. Now I just need to reconfigure the switching so there is more movement along the frame.

Building the suspension cable frame at first i was concerned with the bow on the rod after adding tension to the cable. I went and got a thicker rod, but still some bow. But i think no matter what i do, the tension will take over, so instead of fighting it, I decided to embrace it. The vibration on the tension cables may interupt the device's patterns.

The up and down movement is still to be worked out. The wench idea was thought of, but the motors are not powerful enough. My old idea of the scissor lift would work but it was quite cumbersome and bulky. I think focusing on what i have now is more important, the up and down can be added perhaps in a couple days to add another dimension to the patterning,

Simplifying the proscenium

After cutting pieces for the upper mechanics of the proscenium i discovered some complications. It is a bit chunky and complex in some areas, so i decided to simplify. The suspension cable will consist of a rod with three cables in tension, and the pulley device will be repeated twice above to move the suspension frame side to side along perpendicular suspended cables. The up and down movement will be localized at the pulley device, below it in a wench like form. The overall result should be less weight and more refinement in the pieces.

Designing the Proscenium

I have some ideas for how the proscenium structure will raise and lower, and turn. The major ideas involve a scissor lift design for vertical movement, using threaded rod and laser cut pieces. And the turning will be done with gears and a chain along a circular frame, in tension. The major part, the suspended cable will be a rectangular frame, with a cable from end to end. The tension of the cable will be counteracted by the pushing of the stud and end block together. The width of the frame will be strapped every 3' to prevent bowing into the cable.

In search for structure

After speaking with Patrick, i have received some new inspiration. In my drawing i was starting to explore the tension within the device and how movement in the cable or the wires is influenced by the movement of these arms. Further exploration includes the possible movement of the device along the cable: with different geometries produced by the changes in height and location of the cable ends. But more important the change in time, through different speeds may produce some interesting results. The proscenium is to include a frame supporting a tight cable, structure above to support lighting and projection screens backdrops. Structural members can be manipulated to create variable conditions for the path of travel. I envision the frame can move up and down, each end independent through a gear/chain system. The side to side movement can be created by a similar system. Perhaps pulleys are the answer. I will have to look into it further tonight. The goal is to have some kind of apparatus to allow for multiple movements to photograph these geometries.

Drawing in Progress

With the drawing I was trying to map the movement and start to illustrate the tensile forces of the cables and the device. I wanted to express the relationship between the shadow projections of the device and the monster's topographical motion related to its surrounding space. What is interesting is the geometric forms which begin to emerge within the mapping of movement, and the voids it creates.

Descartes reappears

As i was writing my precise for theory class, i came across Descartes again. i had looked at him briefly for his companion doll, Francine, and its significance as a pleasure Automata. But Descartes mind/ body dualism brings me back to the simulation of life. I came across a J-store article By Sally Pryor, "Thinking of Oneself as a Computer". Her collection of articles expand a bit on this mind/ body dualism, where the body is something spatial and the mind something conceptual. It got me thinking generally about my device and it relationship to the people who walked by it and its site. It requires environmental stimulus to be alive. It is dependent on its site for stimulating life like like the people around it. So what does my thing do? It stimulates life around it. Is it a mirror, no not that sophisticated. It occupies space within a site and modifies the space it contains and evades by altering it movement, tilt switches, light sensor circuits. My device is also in tension. The suspended feature of this device creates a sensitivity that the switches will also pick up. Balance and weight become an issue. Even the structure supporting the suspended cable are important to how sensitive the structure will be to movement, feedback of movement, and like in the black box, exterior devices' movements.

So what is my device about. Presently i am still unsure about that question. This is what i have so far. The device is in some ways about Descartes and stimulating life. Its also about giving the circuit a face and making the circuit's uncanny nature come alive. Its purpose, don't know. My goal for it was to create a chaotic movement because of the interruption of its regular movement through a series of switches and other devices. A combination of simple gestures, maybe repetitive, which create an independent movement.

A Basis for Drawing

After being introduced to Image J, some drawing possibilities became clear. These pics reveal some of the motion of the monster at an earlier stage. Still need to extract some images from video footage and then start mapping out movement from a similarly generated photo.

Drawing Movement

In the search for different methods of drawing the behaviour of my monster, i looked up Evan's suggestion of Ruairi Glynn. I came across his work in "Interactive Architecture" titled 'Performative Ecologies' which explores how 'cheap and powerful responsive technologies, build an architecture capable of Interacting with rather than Reacting to, human and wider environmental activity'. Illuminated tubes, attached to interactive robots, are used to choregraph a space with the human activity around them. The movement of light is captured on still photography, similar to the trace photos i had done earlier. This seems like one appropriate way to record the monster behaviour.

Moving Forward

The installation brought up a few concerns that need to be addressed. The rope pulley device was not functioning due to a few things: lack of balance, too much friction along rope itself and too much weight from device combined with a weak motor. I tried reduce the friction and got the device balanced but the motor still wasn't powerful enough. Another thing that has come up is the quickness of the switching in the circuit makes the change in the motor direction unnoticeable. Flower recommend perhaps using a capacitor to carry a charge to the motor so when the switch activates it, the motor keeps going even though another switch directs it another way. I envision the Arduino helping tremendously on this as well. A new strategy is to perhaps alter placement of switches and look back at some of the independent movement produced in the studio before.

Looking towards further development i thought i would explore the use of a three way switch, one which mimics the structure of the device and can be repeated to create a skin. The repetition of the switch can cause a series of connection that will always change depending on the movement of the skin.

Progress in the black box

Today was another grueling day of suspending our machines and fixing problems. the room is starting to come together nicely. I am thinking of shadow projections for my device, perhaps onto another machine dependent on light for activation. All the wring on the device makes some interesting shadows, looks like veins or better yet nervous system strands. The device accentuates the circuit itself, making the essence of what made the turtle dance, come alive. My intentions are to layer the shadow projections with infrared traces of my devices movement, alike the lead movement done before. What is interesting is this detachment from the physical object , evidence or essence of an automonous being. A record of its movement perhaps can reveal a very autonomous object. Take the movement out of context and reintroduce it somewhere else, perhaps an uncanny object.

The voices on the bus go round and round..

Well we finally made it here, it wasn't too bad until the 33rd hour, the last two hours were pretty tough. Lots of interesting characters on the bus, enough to fill volumes of psychology journals for years to come. One gentleman, who was sitting across from Ricardo and I, was talking in his sleep. Well actually when we woke him up, because he was to loud, he told us he was "praying to make the voices go away". Yeah because that makes me feel better. Here is some sound footage of what we could get of his rant, turn up volume.

Schematic

The device will be suspended along a steel cable, shared with Shannon's device, and will move along the cable and the floor. A series of tilt switches have been installed along the device's movable parts to allow photo resistor stimulated motors to respond and react to its own kinetic motion. There are three, maybe more, sensors along the cables of the machine to pick up movement or light. Perhaps the motion and the switches themselves can be projected and altered through video.

Synaptic movement - Take 2

Today's work focused on wiring the beast and fine tuning the sensors that will activate the devices. Here are some pics showing more of the progress.

Horizontal Movement

The device can now move along a cable. This adds another element of motion to the device, and another switch possibly on the pulley. I hope to have a switch similar on the floor device at the pulley bracket. Ideally the torso device will move independently from the floor device, but some element will be adjoining the two devices that will twist, or distort as a result of these two devices.

The switches for me are a crucial part of the projection. I would like to either project the movement of these switches through shadow or video: emphasizing the relationship between the exposed circuit expressed through these switches and the responding motion from this monster.

The switches them selves could act as sound activators or light stimulator's that can connect this device to other potential neighbours.

Connections

I modifed the circular switch, and added another tilt switch to the device arm. I discovered some interested movement between both devices using the two different switches i came up with. Because each switch controls a motor on the opposite device, sometimes there are moments that the range of movement will create 'dead spots in the switches: when the connecting cylinder or object is in between connecting nodes. At moments the devices create an interesting random motion, independent from the circuit boards and outside stimulus, this is beginning to continue for more extended periods of time. I think i will have less dead spots in movement when i add a third mechanism, the cable tow, allowing indirect stimulus between devices.

The right parts

Most of the day was spent getting correct wire connections, Arduino boards and steel tubing. Took a trip to the RC Eliminator Hobby shop. Pretty cool store. Was surprised by the amount of architectural related supplies available. Hardware seems to be still a big issue, where to find the right pieces. Home depot and similar box stores are not enough for custom, or unique hardware pieces. Maybe i will just start ordering online.

New switches for different movement

Starting adding more switches to the 'hand' device. The tilt switches don't work as well as i would like with the movement of the device, so i might adjust the wheel size to increase the tilting movement of the body, or i have to change the switch. I looked into other types of tilt switches and came across one that uses a few washers, nuts and bolts. The concept works with my circular switch holder/cable tie piece. I just combined two, attached one with two bolts sticking out, stationary on the 'hand' body at the axle. The other disc is on the inside of the oval wheel, with a spring. As the wheel moves forward the disc turns and connects the spring to one of the bolts. When the wheel turns in the opposite direction, the spring connects to the other bolt. The spring disc is friction fitted, not permanent on the wheel, so when the wheel continues to move in one direction the disc stays in position, keeping contact. Tommorrow i will wire it up and see how well it really works.

Details

Before our web chat with TML, i worked on getting the transparent switches to work with the 'turtle' arm and make some kind of random movement. Before it didn't work so well because of the weight of the switch was too much for the arm to rotate properly to get the tilt switch in the opposite position to activate. I came up with some quick clips for the switches, and as result they can be used for cable organization within the switches or separate from it. I might modify the design a bit depending on the other applications of the tilt switch itself.



Here is some video of the device working, i apologize for the orientation. The two devices are hooked up to light sensors (motion) now, the hand light sensor was kind of wonky. The 'hand' on the table had some appearance of random movement. It goes back and forth depending on the position of the tilt switch, in relation to the moving arm, and movement in the space around them: someone might have activated or deactivated the devices. For example the 'turtle' might stop and the hand keep going in one direction and when the 'turtle' activates again, the hand changes direction or stops. Definitely not there yet, but there is promise. The next step is to add resistor to the tilt switches to slow down and speed up the motor. I hope to get many more switches integrated into both devices by the weekend, can't wait to see what happens.

Interface with Autism

Looked into Autism as a study of how people who isolate themselves from the world might interface with the outside world. There seems to be this escape from reality that kids with Autism appear to have. Kids with autism seem to move there bodies in a robot manner similar to Joey the mechanical boy. Some suggest that its easier for people with Autism to imitate a machine then to face the real world and so they choose the easier path. Joey the mechanical boy needed to use mechanical devices to separate himself with the outside world. Like the monster i am presently creating there is still this buffer between the outside world and the monster's 'self'. Something i am trying to understand and dissolve.

What also distinguishes us from robots is the differences in pathology and normal people: can a robot be dysfunctional? The fact that we strive for perfection to make robots is perhaps the problem, maybe we need to produce something capable of pathology that gives the sense of being alive. Perhaps further research can look into these devices that we use as a buffer between us and the outside world.

Here are a couple links:
http://mysonhasautism.blogspot.com/2005/10/whats-wrong-with-computer-metaphor-of.html
http://cultronix.eserver.org/hilary/

Transparent Tilt Switches

Began to fabricate the tilt switches, came up with a solution for a transparent tilt switch using a plastic tube, springs and metal rod. The goal was to create a switch that took advantage of the one pole contact of the opaque, metal tube tilt switch. Using the spring inside the plastic tube, allows for continuous negative contact and than separate positive contacts on either end. This allows for different results from tilting, such as direction or speed of motor. Still working on a using the switch to control speed, perhaps with a series of resistors on each contact different than the other in the amount. I have included a video to show the result.

The Real Doll

I watched the film 'Guys and Dolls', which speaks about how the 'real doll' has become more of a companion than a pleasure device for many people. I was interested in some of the behaviors of the men towards the doll. Most of them would dress them, groom them, etc, some would even take there dolls out with them in public. Its kind of creepy how most of these men behave with the doll. One man would take pictures of his dolls with him in natural poses: the photograph makes the dolls come alive. These men seem to have social issues, not all but most. The men remind me of the self involved behavior of the mechanical boy, using a doll as social vice. Its not the movement of the doll, but the lack of it, that seems to reinforce the feeling of control these men so desperately want. These men are not mentally ill, they understand the uncanny nature about the whole thing but it speaks to the idea of interface again.

Synaptic Movement

Abstract:
The project looks at Automata of the 18th Century and the work of the clock maker Pierre Jacquet-Droz. His Automatons, including others from Vaucanson and Von Kempelen, fulfill a desire to understanding the world in a mechanical way. My initial focus was on the movement of these Writer’s, Drawers and Digesters, and what was it about the actions of these somewhat aesthetically life like figures that evoke such a ‘pleasurable’ response from the public. For me it’s this uncanny movement of the automaton that responds to our psyche. Freud and Jentsch define the uncanny as a response to the unfamiliar, the ‘unhomely’, a fear of the unknown. Freud relates this human response to a human repression of familiar elements of our childhood that are now reintroduced out of context. A human response is seen in public reaction to Descartes’ mechanized doll of his late daughter, and the talking doll of Thomas Edison. The uncanny nature of these examples seems to be related to the spontaneous motion or self-movement that is expressed. The oxford English dictionary defines automaton as “a piece of mechanism having its motive power so concealed that it appears to move spontaneously. In 17-18th c. applied to clocks, watches, etc.

The monster is a working model for acquiring random, self-movement: through the combination of motions of two vivisected devices. Both devices are moving toys, that have been reduced to the simple gear and motor cases that create their movement. Photovoltaic sensors are used to stimulate movement within each device, which stimulates movement between each other. Self-motivated movement is explored through reversing the motor direction of these devices, adding to the variety of motion. The use of tilt switches was introduced, and the fabrication of transparent tilt switches lead to an expression of movement of the circuit. The expression of motion through a chain of events through switches and motors allows for a more self motivated movement: like the blood of an android pumping through its veins. Further exploration will focus on replacing some parts of the body with movement-activated switches, to transfer more of the motion of the devices into the overall movement of the monster. Continued research is looking at the uncanny in relation to psychological case studies like that of Joey the mechanical boy. Joey behaves autistically, like a robot, where he uses mechanical devices to interact with the outside world. Joey is interesting for his discussion about interface, and how we interface with the world. Is there control in our behavior and is their control in the mechanisms that create our movement? Is that what distinguishes us from automata? The motion of the circuit allows for an exploration of this metaphorical nervous system, and how synaptic movement can lead to a voluntary movement evoked by an outside response.

Reactive Movement

The monster is starting to make an appearance. I have concentrated on this idea of the uncanny Freud was talking about, and in artists like Mike Kelly. The idea i am going with so far for my monster is as follows: a device which reacts to surrounding movement, reacting with movement that causes a chain of random events that may or may not activate other devices. I have taken what is left over from the turtle device, hung it upside down and attached a tilt switch, more to come, to the arm. The idea is that a tilt switch will activate, and hopefully by Tuesday reverse the motor direction of the hand device. I imagine device 1 ( the turtle) hanging from a suspended cable, and moves along its length. The device has exaggerated proportions, through extension in wire, to which tilt switches will be installed. These tilt switches are to be connected to other motors on device 1 and device 2. The battery packs of both devices will also be suspended, and dragged along as device 1 moves. Device two will remain on the floor. I envision a dismemberment of an Automata, where the brain is being dragged along by one element and a detached isolated body part activated by random by audience or device 1. The uncanny relationship between these two hopefully expressed through a random indirect response . Video to follow.

Movement switches

After discovering the benefit of the mercury switch, or any tilt switch for that matter, i wanted to create my own from scratch. Using ball bearing recovered from a industrial castor, lead holder tubes and some copper wire, i was able to create an okay switch. The problem was the connection between the bearing and the copper wire. I then found some aluminum pipe, 1/8 " diameter, and cut some finishing nails, and achieved the same result. They work, but they do not consistently change to a change in angle. I found this site for homemade switches , check it out:

http://www.makezine.com/blog/archive/2007/07/simple_homemade_tilt_acti.html

Sensing movement

The appearance of independent, random movement is one direction i want to take my monster. the idea being that movement will be stimulated by other devices and responded with movement from movement. the light sensor circuit achieves a motion sensor element, but how to obtain random, or differentiated movement was still a question i had in mind. I created a circuit, from make magazine site, http://www.make-digital.com/make/vol10/?pg=66&search=555&liid=eb284a0105%20target=&u1=texterity&cookies=1

I was able to use a 555 timer to make a LED blink 5 times a second. I am hoping to use this circuit in some way to differentiate motor movement and/or affect LEDs that will be attached to the monster. After a short discussion with guest crit Jean-Pierre Gauthier, he had suggested mercury switches, or tilt switches to switch the polarity of the motor.

The act of a movement from the monster will either activate another motor, device or reverse the action it is currently in. A more random movement may occur as a result of movement that is activated through movement from the audience or other devices.

Joey: The Mechanical Boy

Came across an article by Bruno Bettelheim, titled ' Joey: A "Mechanical Boy". Bruno discusses a case history of a boy who suffers from schizophrenia, and behaves like a robot. In fact the boy believed he was a robot, expressed through drawings.



His motions and mannerisms mimic a disjointed mechanical movement. The boy would go as far to uses props like an extension cord to pretend he was plugging himself in while eating. In fact everyday functions like sleeping were not possible unless joey was able to relate his behavior to some mechanical device, such as crafting a apparatus from cardboard. masking tape, wire and other paraphernalia that allows him to live while sleeping. The behavior, traced back to his childhood and lack of emotional fostering from his parents. This is interesting for its comment on what makes us human. As they went through rehabilitation, his behavior became more responsive to his environment. 'The heart of Joey's delusional system was the artificial, mechanical womb he had created and into which he had locked himself. This idea that humans can mimic robots, to the point were people recognize them as robots is interesting. This behavior is described as autistic as well. Autism is characteristic of isolating oneself from the outside world, projecting in ward on to one's self. Like robots, autistic children lack emotional response, lacking human characteristics. Our ability as humans to interact with our environment and respond to complex situations is one part of it. The uncanny nature of a boy robot, who is human, i think is rooted in this idea of unhomely that Freud speaks about in his paper the uncanny. The uncanny emphasizes that which is not native to the situation. A boy should not be a robot, a head should not be mimicking facial expressions because its is not native to that context.

Light Detector Circuit

Built a motion sensor circuit using a light sensor. The sensor is more sensitive to changes in light than a particular movement or speed. Just need to figure out the differentiator circuit, which will allow a light sensor to change to speed or direcion of a motor. Today i was able to get both devices communicating and responding to each other. The motion circuit activates the turtle, which in turn activates the motors from its own circuit board. Because both devices are hooked up to a relay, once the turtle activates, the hand activates 8 seconds later. Which in turn reactivates the turtle because of the new motion detector circuit recognizing the movement of the hand. A loop is created, the devices almost continue activating off off each other. There timing is a bit off, maybe i need to use the 555 timer. We will see tomorrow.

Uncanny

After discussions with Patrick, decided the direction for research will focus on this idea of the uncanny, specifically this energy force that seems to exude from Automata. The interaction we as an audience engage in with Automata and 'mechanisms that resemble life', creates a bond, one seen in the Descartes myth, but also in modern devices like the Real Doll. But what is it about this movement, gesture of independence that makes a moving device seem alive. Looking into Freud' discussion about uncanny, discovered some of his theory is based on Ernst Jentsch. Jentsch defines uncanny as the fear of the unfamiliar and it is based on intellectual uncertainty. Freud expands on this, with a psychoanalytic approach. His conclusion is that uncanny is a combination of 1)the act of a repressed childhood experience being revived, reacting in a 'double" or opposite way, where a defense mechanism turns that pleasurable childhood experience into a feared one and 2) a primitive belief, which has been overcome, seems once more to be confirmed. the importance of the definition seems to be this distinction between a childhood view upon Automata, wanted dolls to come to life, and in adult hood, fearing them. Perhaps we learn to recognize or react the uncanny.

My monster will focus on recognition/ response of 'independent- free movement within its surroundings and itself. Movement that mimics the self. Here is a link for a Japanese robotics/ facial expression study, investigating emotion in faces through 19 moving parts of a humanoid.

http://www.reuters.com/news/video/videoStory?videoId
=55538&newsChannel=technologyNews

The Beast- still a work in progress

Thursday tutorial opened my eyes on the possibilities within our devices. But with that said, my beast is still a work in progress. With recent research directing me toward movement within Automata a catalyst for emotional response within an audience, my focus was to interact by way of sensing movement. My aim is to create a beast which responds to its environment, through it own movement, within its own construct, independent and self motivating. I came across a work by Edward Ihnatowicz, The Senster, a robotic sculpture that principally responded to voice but also responds to movement.

Edward built an oscilloscope from old radar parts, using radar technology to detect movement. Unpredictable behaviour of the audience during its exposition resulted in more sophisticated movement. This relationship between audience and device i important, its alludes to this idea of the response of the environment affecting the behaviour of the sculpture. An adapting behaviour. This relationship between the 'robot' and the 'patrons' reminds me of the same connection an audience has with the Automata of the 18Th century. My own beast i decided would use some particular circuits, a relay circuit and a differentiators circuit, that will utilize light sensors to sense movement around them and between each component. Other devices like timers and potentiometers might be helpful to attribute a more independent behaviour.

So far i have explored and failed miserablly on those two types of circuits i want to layout. in the end of the day i ended up with a relay switch attached to both devices, the hand and the turtle components, where when the turtle is set off the hand will activate within 8 seconds. It might be interesting to create a loop by activating the hand, relaying it to the turtle components which activate the motion sensor of tha hand and continues onward. However i having issues activating the turtle within the relay setup. more work to do.