Event Blog: Louis-Philippe Demers Lecture

Thinking I was about to see a presentation by my teaching assistant for this class, I accidentally ended up sitting in on the wrong presentation, but luckily it coincided perfectly with the topic for that week, robotics + art. Louis-Philippe Demers is an artist who uses robotics a medium.

One of his projects, The Blind Robot, is a mechanical set of arms that explores the viewer’s face and shoulders, similar to the way a blind person would get to know another person. In exhibits, the viewer sits in front of a mirror and can watch the robot touch them. It can be a very intimate experience and seems oddly human.

Disney world did a similar ride with a robot that is interactive and touches people. This display of robots was slightly more horrific though. Before it was closed down, the ride Alien in the Animal Kingdom in Orlando, Florida involved riders strapped in to a seat in the dark “viewing” an alien that proceeds to break free from its cage. The robotic alien hovers over riders shoulders, breathing in their ears and “licking” them.

Another major project that Mr. Demers discussed is also an interactive robotic experience, this time called Inferno. Inferno is a sort of dance number where volunteers wear a robotic suit that is controlled remotely. The suit moves to the music and allows the participants to know what it feels like to be controlled by someone or something else. It is called Inferno because Mr. Demers believes it would resemble Hell in that the inhabitants cannot control their own movements and do not know when these movements will begin and end. The mechanical suits are also somewhat frightening looking and heavy to wear.

Sources

"Ars Electronica 2013, Louis Philippe Demers -- The Blind Robot." YouTube. YouTube, 17 Sept. 2013. Web. 24 May 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRKO1En2HTk>.

"The Blind Robot." Robots and Avatars. Robots and Avatars, 2014. Web. 24 May 2015. <http://www.robotsandavatars.net/exhibition/jurys_selection/commissions/the-blind-robot/>.

Galindo, Brian. "3 Disney Attractions That Had To Be Closed Because They Were Too Scary." BuzzFeed. BuzzFeed, 18 Feb. 2013. Web. 24 May 2015. <http://www.buzzfeed.com/briangalindo/3-disney-attractions-that-had-to-be-closed-because-they-were#.ls6eOYGKk>.

Image Inferno: http://36.media.tumblr.com/62f9daadd6c44b674578ee23ceee09e9/tumblr_nmusjgXGV21qzq5vso1_500.jpg

"Inferno - Bill Vorn & Louis-Philippe Demers | ARTE Creative." ARTE Creative. Studio MAC, 03 May 2015. Web. 24 May 2015. <http://creative.arte.tv/en/community/inferno-bill-vorn-louis-philippe-demers>.

"Inferno - Bill Vorn & Louis-Philippe Demers." Vimeo. Le Studio MAC Creteil, n.d. Web. 24 May 2015. <https://vimeo.com/120602707>.

MarioSonic94. "Top 10 Defunct Disney Rides..." Retro Junk. Retro Junk, n.d. Web. 24 May 2015. <http://www.retrojunk.com/article/show/2368/top-10-defunct-disney-rides>.