The robotic art work Spinal Rhythms
investigates the qualities and dynamics of physical movement performed by
inanimate shapes. Abstract stick-creature are actuated by elastic shape
memory alloy springs and perform slow and noiseless movements. The movements
are the subject of an embodied evolutionary computation process that controls
the robotic performance. The system evolves the actuation signals for the
robotic muscles and tries to find efficient solutions for the sensitive
dynamics between software, hardware and environment.
The art work presents a solution on how to bridge the gap between digital
and robotic artificial life art. It introduces the shaping power of evolutionary
systems - widely employed in digital artificial life - into a real-world
setup full of complex dynamics and unpredictable conditions.
(c) 2007 - Thesis project by Eva Schindling
Completed in the MSc. programme Art & Technology