The lines between the synthetic and the natural are increasingly blurred. The collapse of this dichotomy can be seen in synthetically manufactured food, 3D printed tissue and rapidly expanding roles and capabilities of artificially intelligent systems. The synthetic ecology developed in this project imagines innovative potentials for technology which are not governed by pragmatics or economy. This project envisions a new species of robot that inhabits a mechanized terrain and nurtures the growth of chemically engineered crystals. As a speculative proposal for a wholly synthetic ecosystem, the project seeks to challenge conventional approaches to the design and behavior of robots, envisioning an environment which evokes the biological while at the same time asserting the aesthetic potentials of the artificial. Potentials for a radically different approach to the built environment emerge as we allow ourselves to contemplate in form and behavior, new species at multiple scales.
Can a Robot have a Hobby?
How can we begin to speculate on non-human aesthetics?
Should we have empathy for non-biological species?
What is the role of newly emergent technological species in society?
How can we explore and blur the dividing line between the natural and the synthetic?
How will our behavior be affected as synthetic species assume expanded roles in our society?
How can we introduce a non-anthropocentric view through this project?
How does a robot experience its environment?
How can we embody a robot’s behavior and perception?
What can interactions between robots and humans inform us about our contemporary existence?
How will ethics evolve as these beings become increasingly intelligent?
How can humans and robots share an experience?
This project focuses on new forms of programming which utilizes the impact of simultaneous motion between a human programmer and robotic receiver. This synchronized collaboration provides a direct way of interfacing with artificial agents. We created an analog control system which records and digitizes fluid motions in real-time. This analog control arm is equipped with sensors to interpret our movements which are translated into a digital language the robot understands and re-enacts. These recordings will make up a library of naturalistic gestures that can be continually performed. We have discovered this system of programming allows for an experience which is tangible in nature thereby increasing the empathetic response the user feels towards the robot. The robots will be able to interact naturally with humans, as well as its landscape, through digital cameras enriched with facial recognition software and 3D vision. These enhancements enable virtual embodiment and new interaction scenarios for humans and robots in the habitat.
The field of artificial intelligence and socially interactive robotics has been dictated by pragmatic investigations concerned predominantly with consumerism and function. The resultant technological products favor human centered systems and ideologies. However, as these intelligent autonomous systems continue to develop there has been a growing interest in examining the more abstract abilities of their behavior. Questions surrounding the conceptual qualities of their existence offer the potential for new models of mutually beneficial relationships between humans and technology. This novel approach operates at the boundaries of computation and engineering research, but also incorporates philosophical and psychological concerns by contemplating new possibilities for autonomous technologies. This project seeks to shift the perception of robotic agency in order to explore a social and ecological frontier vastly different from our own.
Synthetic Ecologies: Autonomous Botanists envisions a habitat for non-humanity, exploring the poetic potentials of a new artificial species by giving them the means to create their own environment. We have developed a synthetic landscape of engineered crystals, where nature is derived from data, and nurturing robot gardeners cultivate their own environment. A colony of robots networked to each other and their habitat will seed and grow the delicate crystal structures that make up the landscape. The robots and terrain encompassed in this project put forward a novel approach to autonomous systems and aesthetics; posing questions about ethics, empathy and the creative usage of robots and artificial intelligence in the future.
The contemporary fabrication techniques used to develop this project are perfectly suited for the exploration of a new synthetic ecology.
Our design research pushes the boundaries of current uses of this hardware and software resulting in highly novel aesthetic outcomes.
What starts as a digital computer model transitions smoothly into a physical object. Algorithmic and parametric software is used throughout the fabrication process, morphing traditional 2D and 3D geometry into diverse and evocative patterns. Extensive iterations are explored both in the computer and through physical prototypes in order to maximize the potential of these emergent technologies.
The project’s terrain is fabricated using large scale CNC (Computer Numerical Controlled) Milling. This manufacturing technology uses a large robotic arm on a track which reads code in order to cut through material and sculpt intricate forms. Similarly, we have explored and developed novel 3D printing techniques to form the intricate articulated surfaces which make up the robot’s skin. In addition extensive material exploration and research is conducted to develop an ecosystem with very particular aesthetic outcomes and performance.
The synthetic robot habitat is a core component of the Synthetic Ecologies project. Essentially a physical realization of a data network, the landscape enables a series of interactions which evoke living systems through artificial means. The elements of the terrain; pools, micro-textures and undulating surfaces, facilitate the production of crystals as well as their distribution throughout the landscape. Beginning as seeds, the crystals are chosen and placed by the robots according to specific geometry and color; pools automatically fill and begin the chemical process. The forming crystals soak up the liquid solution which sets off a chain reaction of sensors and mechanical systems, relocating the forms to other areas for further germination. This cycle is closely monitored by the robots and repeated as necessary. Due to the rapid growth (a few hours) and brief lifespans of these crystals, they evolve into delicate powdery ephemera at the perimeter of the terrain, evoking fallen leaves. While entirely synthetic, this artificial ecosystem mirrors the complex relationship of its natural counterparts.
As Artificial Intelligence and robotic technologies have evolved, the creation of social robots has started to gain momentum. The behaviors of these social robots are a direct reflection of how we have programmed them. Research shows that even the less anthropomorphic types of robots, such as the Roomba, engage us in complex interactions, inciting an emotional response when we interact with them. In this interrelationship between human and robot, empathetic feelings are provoked which would otherwise be reserved for biological entities such as other humans and animals. The physical behavior of robots evokes a visceral reaction in us that exposes our complex and multifaceted responses towards robots. We may consider them endearing, terrifying and everything in between. Our project builds upon this emerging field of research and provokes questions surrounding the ethical and social implications surrounding the design of future robotic species and their potential environmental, aesthetic and behavioral interactions.
Articulated Terrain
Robot Path
Fluid Tank Support Structure Flexible Surface Terrain Robot Gardener Actuator Fluid Pump
1. Robot Gardener Places Crystal Seeds 2. Ponds Fill With Solution 3. Seeds Are Hydrated And Formation Begins
Robot Gardener
Crystal Formation Ponds 4. Articulated Surface Terrain Distributes Crystals 5. Crystals Mature In Secondary Locations 6. Crystals Populate Terrain