Yesterday Metropol opened another hi-tech art installation, this time from Robertina Å ebjaniÄ produced by DaÅ¡a Lakner for Kiberpipa Err0r group with title Pufination. The art piece is about pufies, 4 robots that communicate with each other and try to do everything to attract observers attention.
They blink, change color, wiggle, make sounds and are all together attention grabbing. Overall effect is very good with lots of visitors almost unable to walk away because of sudden emotional attachment.
Here is what artist wrote about her piece:
Pufis represent microorganisms living in an open ecosystem, while the collection of objects functions as a sensitive sensory network. The visitor is subsumed into the artificially produced »biosphere« through active sensor-based interaction. Pufination is incomplete without interaction. There’s no leading role, we’re all just cohabiting. The project thus highlights our relationship to other life as an important factor to every individual’s own survival. In Pufination, we find ourselves inside a simulated projection of our everyday. Decentralised control, close stimulus response and adherence to simple rules – this is what links robots and visitors in the Pufination.
Pufi robots are based on the Arduino platform. They communicate with each other by a wireless network and with people by touch, sound, light and vibration.
Full installation credits:
Idea, concept, design: Robertina Å ebjaniÄ
Programming, advice: Luka Frelih
Technical realization: Alojzij Sinur and Janž VerbanÄiÄ
Production lead: Daša Lakner
Produced by: Cyberpipe (Err0r)
Cool innovation. I'll definitely keep my eyes on these and see where it goes. =)