Reactive Art

Developed by Tanner Huffman

 

Students created pieces of art mimicking changes in nature. They utilized infrared proximity sensors to make the artwork react to viewers. curriculum

 


Reactive Art from CREATE Lab on Vimeo.

Another example here.

 

Special Guest

 

Earlier in the summer residency (prior to the development of this lesson) artist Garth Zeglin met with Tanner and Robert to talk about his research and artwork, including kinetic sculptures combining fabric and robotic elements.

Robot Diaries Summer 2010 - Getting Started

Middle school teachers Rob Ruddle and Tanner Huffman will spend this summer at the CREATE Lab, designing curriculum based on the lab's Robot Diaries program. Robot Diaries evolves around using art supplies, a circuit board, lights and motors to build and program robots that tell a story or express emotions: http://www.terk.ri.cmu.edu/curricula/robot-diaries/

We kicked off this summer of planning with a three days workshop in which we hoped to achieve the following:

  • Teachers will build several robots to establish familiarity and fluency with using Robot Diaries technology and materials
  • Teachers will create documents outlining work plan a'sd schedule, educational goals and logistical needs for the summer
  • Teachers will meet artists and roboticists and explore variety of creative robotics examples

 

     

    Day 1 June 21st Monday

    The day Consisted of two assignments:

    Build and program a robot with a sensor

    Tanner's solution - Ghosts

    Robot Diaries - Ghost from CREATE Lab on Vimeo.

    Rob's solution - Peacock

    Robot Diaries - Peacock from CREATE Lab on Vimeo.

     

    Build robots that interact with each other

    Collaborative solution - Car and Bridge

    Robot Diaries - Dialogue from CREATE Lab on Vimeo.

     

     

     

    Day 2 June 22nd Tuesday

    Started with a visit to the STUDIO for Creative Inquiry

    with demonstartions and conversation by: 
    Golan Levin     the STUDIO's director
    Jacob Tonski     shared some student work from Motion As Metaphore his class at Miami University
    Rich Pell presented projects of Institute for Applied Autonomy and the Center for PostNatural History
    and Kyle McDonald introduced the affordable setup he is developing for 3D scanning

     

    The schedule also included drafting a summer work plan document and calendar

     

    To conclude the day Rob and Tanner wrote robot building assignments for each other - to be completed the following day.

     

     

    Day 3 June 23rd Tuesday

    More robot building:

    Write assignments for each other

     Tanner's assignment for Rob - Dog

    Robot Diaries - Dog from CREATE Lab on Vimeo.

    Rob's assignment for Tanner - Cockroach

    Robot Diaries - Cockroach from CREATE Lab on Vimeo.

     

    The workshop concluded with a presentation and conversation about robots and music with Eric Singer of LEMUR who also happens to be on the cover of this week's City Paper

      

     

     Next July 12-13 Monday-Tuesday

    Rob and Tanner will be back on campus with full day projects for a test classroom.
    Tanner will teach the Monday class, Rob will lead Tuesday.