interactive installation

Contemporary post-industrial society applies technology to all areas of life. Even machine as part of this system begins to experience intense influence of the environment, thus proving that even a complex robotic system created by humans is similar to them from many perspectives. Author creates artificial organism in a living being’s image and likeness, constructs a probable situation and suggests a possible solution to the problem: this solution lies in collaboration and mutual support between robot and human. The piece is an interactive kinetic sound and visual object which responses to external stimuli, having ‘allergic’ reactions when put under certain conditions.

In a regular mode, the installation’s movements are smooth and measured, its musical sound is meditative and abstract graphics on its screen is calm and pleasant to watch.

However, as the number of stimulating factors grows around it, the object suffers from an allergy attack that leads to system breakdown: the machine starts producing sharp sounds, vibrates spasmodically and shows other similar symptoms of a cybernetic body’s illness.

To restore its functions, the object has to take an antihistamine that gradually brings it back to normal and resumes the mode of meditative operation. Any visitor can help the robot by passing to it a pill from a container placed nearby.

soft:

- max/msp
- pure data

hard:

- arduino mega
- arduino uno
- servo motors
- dc motors
- led, lcd screens
- 1 channel sound system
- ultrasound distance sensor

Commission by Bayer AG. Moscow, 2017