General Idea of Thesis

So here is my idea in a few words:

The basis of my work deals with psychological projection of identity. In short we like to make things like us. We think at people think the same way we do etc. etc. This is interesting when dealing with animals. I am taking this a set further and applying this to robots. One can read about Chico MacMurtrie talking about people telling him how his robots feel. Robots do not feel they are. So I am creating a very cute little robot. Probably the size of a small house cat. It will use Arduino for motor control and probably critter for sound.

The environment will be a recreation of a indoor zoo building complete with pictures of the "animal" in the wild and scientific data. It will "live" in a cage in the center of the exhibit. Also hidden in the cage is another robot but it is ripped apart showing us what it truly is.

Sensor will include an overhead camera for blob detection. A microphone for sounds and either qprox sensor with the cage or IR sensors. Programs will be MAX/MSP, Processing, Arduino, and Critter.

More on the behaviors of the robot next week.....as well as pictures...and more links to cool robotic creatures.

Video

Here is the bad video. I'll redo it in the summer. Sorry no sound.

Going Crazy

I have the video. It sucks but I am uploading it to youtube anyway. I have to rework my thesis idea so I am holding off on my pictures and video from that. Once my idea is more final I will post stuff. This is trying and I wish the department had a better way to run this class but c'est la vie.