At ROBÖXOTICA 2006, robot artist Kal Spelletich delivered an inspiring artist talk, which I finally got around to putting online.
The above clip of 13min is trimmed down to the most essential, but the full 52min are
Showing posts with label roboexotica2006. Show all posts
Showing posts with label roboexotica2006. Show all posts
Monday, February 05, 2007
ROBOEXOTICA 2006 Artist Talk: Kal Spelletich
At ROBÖXOTICA 2006, robot artist Kal Spelletich delivered an inspiring artist talk, which I finally got around to putting online.
The above clip of 13min is trimmed down to the most essential, but the full 52min are
Friday, January 05, 2007
Another ROBOEXOTICA 2006 Video
Although I was busy helping other people find the best situation to shoot the bots showing at ROBOEXOTICA, I ended up with some shots on my cam's SD-card myself, which were suitable documentation for the interwebs ...
Now I arranged some panshots and some robots in action into a 6-7min clip, featuring Vino Viper (interactive wine pouring), DWI-bot (drunk driving simulator), Chapok/Capek (serving shots), El Espanol Borracho (serving flaming drinks) and WERP_bot (cigarette throwing).
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Wired (Again)
After two Wired-online articles during ROBOEXOTICA a month ago, Wired Magazine is now featuring a half-page in it's January issue: Drink Up, Human - highlighting four of the cocktailrobots that participated Dec 2006.
"... Technically, it’s a contest – to win a Cocktail Robot Award. But how do you choose a pickup-line-spouting, booze-slinging metal torso over a flame-throwing bar on wheels? ..."
"... Technically, it’s a contest – to win a Cocktail Robot Award. But how do you choose a pickup-line-spouting, booze-slinging metal torso over a flame-throwing bar on wheels? ..."
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Robot Warning Stickers - Now Available
These slightly re-designed warning stickers by Mr. Robotics are now publically available on Suicidebots!
To be taken seriously: "Robots ... Don't be fooled by their friendly attempts to make you a cocktail!"
I got mine when Mr. Robotics and Missy Suicidebots were here for ROBOEXOTICA last December:
A Cocktailrobotic Homage to Hermann Nitsch
Kal Spelletich being a great fan of Austrian Aktionismus, in particular Nitsch, it was only natural for him to be reminded of Nitsch's Schüttbilder, when regarding the stains his Vino Viper was producing as a side-effect of human deficiencies at work trying to pour/blow red wine into a cup with it.
Thus the necessity of having a canvas catch some of the spillings and remain as a witness was evident and I happened to have this 30x30cm one at home and brought it to be painted on by the Viper on Dec. 9th, at the height of the ROBOEXOTICA festival.
Watch Kal talk about the painting here.
Video of the Viper in action here.
Saturday, December 30, 2006
ROBOEXOTICA remote party - videos
This year we had a remote connection to a ROBÖXOTICA-tribute party in Kaiserslautern, Germany, which our friend Leo Sauermann had organized, featuring a live human
And here's the video of the making:
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Chapok/Chapek
I believe David Calkins still hasn't decided yet wether to call his robot Chapok or Chapek - after being introduced as Chapok last year, I took the bot's name to be a variation of the Czech writer's name Chapek, who first used the term robot in literature (early 20th century). But then I noticed David referencing to it as Chapek sometime during 2006 - and subsequently asked him before ROBOEXOTICA 2006 for the current correct name ... which was to be Chapek ... I thought! Because during ROBÖXOTICA David kept calling his cocktailrobot Chapok quite consistenly!
So ... whatever! Although Chapok/Chapek was struggling with technical difficulties again (speech module burned out after first night) he was performing well enough on the first evening to impress international press with his conversation skills (see Reuters-report) as well as his cocktail serving qualities, which kept working well all through the show.
Obviously standing out among the other cocktailrobots shown with his anthropomorphic looks Chapok encouraged people to react to him emotionally even when technical failure had rendered him silent - a phenomenon reported earlier by Tom Heike, whose Robofriend is also being talked to a lot.
Update: For a little Czech-lesson / background on the naming - go to Suicidebots!
So ... whatever! Although Chapok/Chapek was struggling with technical difficulties again (speech module burned out after first night) he was performing well enough on the first evening to impress international press with his conversation skills (see Reuters-report) as well as his cocktail serving qualities, which kept working well all through the show.
Obviously standing out among the other cocktailrobots shown with his anthropomorphic looks Chapok encouraged people to react to him emotionally even when technical failure had rendered him silent - a phenomenon reported earlier by Tom Heike, whose Robofriend is also being talked to a lot.
Update: For a little Czech-lesson / background on the naming - go to Suicidebots!
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
ROBÖXOTICA Coverage - Addendum
In the previous post listing ROBOEXOTICA media coverage I only linked to one of two (or so) Wired-posts - I, Robot Bartender.
So here is the other one from the Gear Factor category: The robot cocktail-servers of Vienna, which made it into my eternal top media quotes with this one:
"In America, the robots vacuum carpets and terrify pets. In Korea, they read books to children at bedtime. In Austria, they serve you drinks. Finally, someone gets their priorities right."
And here's the full text of the Reuters article, that made it around the globe:
12:22 08Dec06 -FEATURE-Cocktail robots mix mojitos in Vienna
By Karin Strohecker
VIENNA, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Staring with glowing red eyes at a young woman strolling by, bartender Chapok slowly extends his arm to offer her a gin and orange.
She takes the glass, murmurs a flustered "thank you" and walks away while the cocktail-mixing robot turns his attention back to a row of bottles.
"People are interacting, they are actually talking to my robot," smiles David Calkins, who teaches robotics at San Francisco State University.
"This is fantastic, exactly what I was hoping for."
Chapok is one of around 30 robots at Vienna's annual Roboexotica, which showcases how home-built machines deal with the modern pastime of hanging out in bars.
Robots were invited to demonstrate their skills in categories like mixing cocktails, serving drinks and snacks, bar conversation and smoking cigarettes and cigars.
"It's all about the flair, the atmosphere and the personality that a robot can have," said Magnus Wurzer, ducking a bunch of cocktail cherries launched by a robot in one corner of the hall to another holding a drink at the other end.
The cherries miss their target and hit onlookers.
"The robots shouldn't be efficient," Wurzer said. "They shouldn't behave like they were in a factory, they should be cultured and urbane."
In 1999, Wurzer, a 36-year-old robot lover and artist, helped launch the cocktail robot convention Roboexotica (www.roboexotica.com) in Vienna.
They are not trying to build commercially viable robots or gadgets that look like humans. Rather they aim to assemble machines that display a unique mechanical charm and personality.
Wurzer's favourites from years past include a robot that scrounged drinks from passers-by, and one that offered to light visitors' cigarettes but ending up smoking them itself.
Chapok, who resembles the tin man in the "Wizard of Oz", is one of the robots making a name for himself this year.
Wired to a row of bottles from which he mixes his drinks, Chapok is linked to a computer that provides him with a bar-room repartee not strong on subtlety.
SCROUNGERS AND FREELOADERS
"Hey you sweet thing, have you ever had a date with a robot?" he asks women customers.
"You want what? Order yourself a drink for a man, you girl!" is his way of warming up male customers.
Onlookers respond with laughter and astonished looks. "One of the reasons why people go to bars is to interact," said Calkins, trying to untangle the wires protruding from his robot. "And if you have a robot that talks to you and insults you ... you can be sure that people won't forget him.
"Of course I could build a robot that irons shirts or something and that would be just as difficult. But having a cocktail robot is just much more fun and even if your robot
doesn't work, you still have a party."
A few metres down the hall, Robert Martin is showing off Robomoji, a cupboard-sized machine with rattling chains and steel gears mixing its creator's favourite drink, a mojito.
"I just love to develop my robot, I have worked on it for the past four years and every year it goes a step further," said the 32-year-old German technician as he fixed the ice crusher.
"Next year I'll get the bit fixed where it stirs the drink and then puts in a straw."
((Editing by Robert Woodward; Vienna Newsroom +43 1 531 12 256))
Keywords: AUSTRIA ROBOTS/
Friday, 08 December 2006 12:22:58
RTRS [nL0856074 ] {C}
ENDS
So here is the other one from the Gear Factor category: The robot cocktail-servers of Vienna, which made it into my eternal top media quotes with this one:
"In America, the robots vacuum carpets and terrify pets. In Korea, they read books to children at bedtime. In Austria, they serve you drinks. Finally, someone gets their priorities right."
And here's the full text of the Reuters article, that made it around the globe:
12:22 08Dec06 -FEATURE-Cocktail robots mix mojitos in Vienna
By Karin Strohecker
VIENNA, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Staring with glowing red eyes at a young woman strolling by, bartender Chapok slowly extends his arm to offer her a gin and orange.
She takes the glass, murmurs a flustered "thank you" and walks away while the cocktail-mixing robot turns his attention back to a row of bottles.
"People are interacting, they are actually talking to my robot," smiles David Calkins, who teaches robotics at San Francisco State University.
"This is fantastic, exactly what I was hoping for."
Chapok is one of around 30 robots at Vienna's annual Roboexotica, which showcases how home-built machines deal with the modern pastime of hanging out in bars.
Robots were invited to demonstrate their skills in categories like mixing cocktails, serving drinks and snacks, bar conversation and smoking cigarettes and cigars.
"It's all about the flair, the atmosphere and the personality that a robot can have," said Magnus Wurzer, ducking a bunch of cocktail cherries launched by a robot in one corner of the hall to another holding a drink at the other end.
The cherries miss their target and hit onlookers.
"The robots shouldn't be efficient," Wurzer said. "They shouldn't behave like they were in a factory, they should be cultured and urbane."
In 1999, Wurzer, a 36-year-old robot lover and artist, helped launch the cocktail robot convention Roboexotica (www.roboexotica.com) in Vienna.
They are not trying to build commercially viable robots or gadgets that look like humans. Rather they aim to assemble machines that display a unique mechanical charm and personality.
Wurzer's favourites from years past include a robot that scrounged drinks from passers-by, and one that offered to light visitors' cigarettes but ending up smoking them itself.
Chapok, who resembles the tin man in the "Wizard of Oz", is one of the robots making a name for himself this year.
Wired to a row of bottles from which he mixes his drinks, Chapok is linked to a computer that provides him with a bar-room repartee not strong on subtlety.
SCROUNGERS AND FREELOADERS
"Hey you sweet thing, have you ever had a date with a robot?" he asks women customers.
"You want what? Order yourself a drink for a man, you girl!" is his way of warming up male customers.
Onlookers respond with laughter and astonished looks. "One of the reasons why people go to bars is to interact," said Calkins, trying to untangle the wires protruding from his robot. "And if you have a robot that talks to you and insults you ... you can be sure that people won't forget him.
"Of course I could build a robot that irons shirts or something and that would be just as difficult. But having a cocktail robot is just much more fun and even if your robot
doesn't work, you still have a party."
A few metres down the hall, Robert Martin is showing off Robomoji, a cupboard-sized machine with rattling chains and steel gears mixing its creator's favourite drink, a mojito.
"I just love to develop my robot, I have worked on it for the past four years and every year it goes a step further," said the 32-year-old German technician as he fixed the ice crusher.
"Next year I'll get the bit fixed where it stirs the drink and then puts in a straw."
((Editing by Robert Woodward; Vienna Newsroom +43 1 531 12 256))
Keywords: AUSTRIA ROBOTS/
Friday, 08 December 2006 12:22:58
RTRS [nL0856074 ] {C}
ENDS
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
monochrom's Taugshow #9 (ROBÖXOTICA-special)
On Fri Dec 8th - during ROBOEXOTICA - part 9 of monochrom's talkshow Taugshow was taped at dietheater/Konzerthaus: download here!
There's a brilliant dialog with V. Vale, Krach the rocking Robot has an appearance, Kal Spelletichburns tries to eat an american flag, sex-blogger Violet Blue gives an insight in her robotic spare-time activities and much more.
There's a brilliant dialog with V. Vale, Krach the rocking Robot has an appearance, Kal Spelletich
Saturday, December 16, 2006
Everybody's Favorite: Baillette de Sacachorcos
The winner in the Public's Choice Category of the Annual Cocktail Robot Awards was a ballett - a ballett of corkscrews!
Baillette de Sacachorcos by Chris Janka and Beat Spichtig rewarded visitors who inserted 50 Cents into the slot with a brilliantly choreographed dance and was voted for most in the ACRA's 6th category.
Baillette de Sacachorcos by Chris Janka and Beat Spichtig rewarded visitors who inserted 50 Cents into the slot with a brilliantly choreographed dance and was voted for most in the ACRA's 6th category.
Cocktail Conversation at the Annual Cocktail Robot Awards
ACRA - 3rd Category, Cocktail Conversation:
The AAACGD or Awesome Automated Artificial Communication Generating Device, which was designed by students Christian Perstl and Michael Wirnsperger of FH Joanneum Graz, stimulated human conversation by applying controversial fingerprint-recognition technology.
Phishing for fingerprints with the promise of free drinks, the device furtherly camouflaged it's evil purpose by issueing confusing fortune-cookie-like statements.
I heard it is already nominated for the next local Big Brother Awards.
Friday, December 15, 2006
ACRA Mixing Category: External Combustion Engine
Imagine a cocktailrobot that would mix your cocktail of choice exactly the way you like it best. Without even asking.Jonathan Moore presented a precursor of such a system - using RFID-technology the External Combustion Engine reads the recipe from a chip, which could be individually programmed for each person.
The demonstration of the device Moore built together with David Fine was not only quite reliable all through ROBOEXOTICA, but also impressed by the visual effect of nitrogen-powered mist of liquids drizzling into the cup.
These young men sure showed how to compensate robotic efficiency with a pleasant appearance.
See the External Combustion Engine drizzle drinks in Geek Entertainment TV's "More ROBOEXOTICA 2006" video!
Thursday, December 14, 2006
ACRA Serving Category: El Espanol Borracho
This year's winner in the serving category impressed the Annual Cocktail Robot Awards' judges with it's "enlightening" Spanish Coffees served ignited by a flamethrower.
So Simone Davalos, who has worked with SRL and helps organize Robogames and Combots-Events, flew home with one of the deliciously looking Guzman-gingerbread-sculptures.
We congratulate the winner!
Video by Eddie Codel. Video by Stefan Nussbaumer.
Okku.pator
Bragofon/Okku.pator - an alcohol-producing installation at ROBÖXOTICA by Michail a Crest & Valie Airport permanently occupied one of Freiraum's bathrooms Dec 5th-10th.
The pre-produced end-result of the installation which had been showing in varying set-ups previously was available at the bar and carries the name Tinctura Artis - a strong herbal spirit.
Flickr/Suckr
What a bummr! A day or so before this year's ROBOEXOTICA started I upgraded my account at one of the photo-sharing sites I'm using.
I chose Flickr, because several of the people involved in this year's event have Flickr-accounts and were going to share their roboexotic photos there.
Thought it would be nice to add all my shots to the great pool of roboexotica-tagged photos by people like Violet Blue and ioerror, local friends like Tea610 and lebard's photos from the remote tribute-to-Roboexotica party in Kaiserslautern.
But as it turns out, my photos don't show up in the list of everyone's photos tagged roboexotica!
Why?
Because my account is marked NIPSA (Not In Public Site Areas).
Why?
"If the images you're uploading either (i) aren't photos, or (ii) are images you've found on the web, stock photos, celebrity photos, stuff that appears to be copyrighted by someone else, screenshots, content that's inappropriate for public areas or full frontal nudity, your account will be marked NIPSA."
So the ROBÖXOTICA flyer and program-folder are THE problem?
Oh yes. Yup, those are non-photos: "Flickr is a website for you to use to share your photos."
Mkay, so I switch those non-photos to "private" and you will consider re-evaluating my account and possibly turn it to IPSA (?) again?
Eventually, yes.
Thanks! Wish I had read and taken seriously Flickr's FAQ earlier. Would have upgraded my 23-account instead!
Update: Actually I just turned the photos to "public" again - Flickr support told me it would be sufficient to use the option "hide from public searches" for the images of the flyer and folder. So that's what I did - hopefully my roboexotica-photos will turn up in searches sometime soon!
Thanks to Flickr-support for being actually there and responding through humans! This is not to be taken for granted in this world we call Web2.0 (ever tried to get in touch with YouTube-support?).
I chose Flickr, because several of the people involved in this year's event have Flickr-accounts and were going to share their roboexotic photos there.
Thought it would be nice to add all my shots to the great pool of roboexotica-tagged photos by people like Violet Blue and ioerror, local friends like Tea610 and lebard's photos from the remote tribute-to-Roboexotica party in Kaiserslautern.
But as it turns out, my photos don't show up in the list of everyone's photos tagged roboexotica!
Why?
Because my account is marked NIPSA (Not In Public Site Areas).
Why?
"If the images you're uploading either (i) aren't photos, or (ii) are images you've found on the web, stock photos, celebrity photos, stuff that appears to be copyrighted by someone else, screenshots, content that's inappropriate for public areas or full frontal nudity, your account will be marked NIPSA."
So the ROBÖXOTICA flyer and program-folder are THE problem?
Oh yes. Yup, those are non-photos: "Flickr is a website for you to use to share your photos."
Mkay, so I switch those non-photos to "private" and you will consider re-evaluating my account and possibly turn it to IPSA (?) again?
Eventually, yes.
Thanks! Wish I had read and taken seriously Flickr's FAQ earlier. Would have upgraded my 23-account instead!
Update: Actually I just turned the photos to "public" again - Flickr support told me it would be sufficient to use the option "hide from public searches" for the images of the flyer and folder. So that's what I did - hopefully my roboexotica-photos will turn up in searches sometime soon!
Thanks to Flickr-support for being actually there and responding through humans! This is not to be taken for granted in this world we call Web2.0 (ever tried to get in touch with YouTube-support?).
Scrapdator
This metal Predator-sculpture was shown at ROBÖXOTICA 2006 by gagshop.at's owner Andreas Puntigam, who had bought it at a fair in Europe, when the Japanese seller was losing weight before getting back to Nippon.Quite decorative, the Scrapdator would have sold for around €2500,- - if you are interested I'll hook you up!
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
A Message from Kal Spelletich
Kal Spelletich, who took home an Annual Cocktail Robot Award (for "Other Achievements" of his Snappy Jaws BBQ, shared with D. Calkins' Chapok) in 2005 and entertained the audience with his Vino Viper this year, has a message to all Roboexoticans:
Gingerbread Cocktailrobots!
Our very dear Expertina manufactured 6 of these gingerbread sculptures of ROBOEXOTICA's logo Guzman secrectly behind the back of her american guests at her home ...
One as a trophy for each of the Annual Cocktail Robot Awards' six categories.
I can only marvel at how she got the figure's details coming out right with the dough swelling and all.
Hosting David Calkins and his wife and ACRA-winner Simone Davalos, Expertina was quite anxious about a spoiled surprise, but the stealth gingerbread-factory stayed unrevealed.
Annual Cocktail Robot Awards 8.0 - 4th Category
Robotic Smoking Culture: The winner is ... WERP_bot - made in Rotterdam by two Austrians: Gordan Savicic and Leo Peschta.
The bot successfully threw cigarettes into visitors' mouths all through the 6 days of ROBOEXOTICA 2006, aided by facial recognition technology.
The original idea of a cigarette throwing robot even prompted the ACRA's judges to rename the category from previously "Lighting Cigarettes" to "Robotic Smoking Culture and Lighting Fires".
The bot automatically scanned it's field of vision for mouths and triggered by a double clap of hands it started it's fascinating catapulting mechanism.
A real improvement for those who "forgot" to bring their own cigarettes and already bummed from everyone around!
(previous post on WERP_bot)
The bot successfully threw cigarettes into visitors' mouths all through the 6 days of ROBOEXOTICA 2006, aided by facial recognition technology.
The original idea of a cigarette throwing robot even prompted the ACRA's judges to rename the category from previously "Lighting Cigarettes" to "Robotic Smoking Culture and Lighting Fires".
The bot automatically scanned it's field of vision for mouths and triggered by a double clap of hands it started it's fascinating catapulting mechanism.
A real improvement for those who "forgot" to bring their own cigarettes and already bummed from everyone around!
(previous post on WERP_bot)
ROBOEXOTICA 2006 Videos
There were quite a few people filming at ROBOEXOTICA - Eddie Codel already put several videos online on Geek Entertainment TV: ROBOEXOTICA 2006 with Violet Blue as RoboReporter, Chapek, WERP_bot, External Combustion Engine, El Espanol Borracho, Distillo, Vino Viper.
Underground media legend V. Vale is preparing a ROBÖXOTICA-special for his SF TV-show.
Stefan Nussbaumer has videos up too: Baillette de Sacacorchos, Welcome to ROBOEXOTICA, WERP_bot, Eiswürfelmörder, Snappy BBQ.
I myself have some material sitting on my harddisk - no idea yet, when I will be able to edit and upload some. The one clip I already got online:
There have been several TV-crews documenting the events - here's the link to a german-languageclip from Wien Heute (no longer working).
And last but not least, we have the Reuters-Video, of which we can only speculate to how many homes and where it brought the images of cocktail-mixing, serving and spilling robots.
Additional coverage: CNet photo-gallery, New Scientist, Tiny Nibbles, Towering Flat.
Underground media legend V. Vale is preparing a ROBÖXOTICA-special for his SF TV-show.
Stefan Nussbaumer has videos up too: Baillette de Sacacorchos, Welcome to ROBOEXOTICA, WERP_bot, Eiswürfelmörder, Snappy BBQ.
I myself have some material sitting on my harddisk - no idea yet, when I will be able to edit and upload some. The one clip I already got online:
There have been several TV-crews documenting the events - here's the link to a german-language
And last but not least, we have the Reuters-Video, of which we can only speculate to how many homes and where it brought the images of cocktail-mixing, serving and spilling robots.
Additional coverage: CNet photo-gallery, New Scientist, Tiny Nibbles, Towering Flat.
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