Week 3: Robotics and Art

Technology has been influencing and pushing the development of art and literature from ancient time to nowadays. According to Benjamin's essay The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction, he mentioned how technology influenced art: while people invented lithography, the technology of reproduction reached a peak and graphic art was developing very fast. With a closer look in the World War II, human used most advanced achievements in technology and made technology become an irreplaceable element in a nation's development. The affect of technology and industrialization makes people realize to design something to improve efficiency and productivity. Here comes the robotics.

Japanese robot is picking strawberry for farmers

However, robotics not only are tools but also combinations of art and technology. Art is a special way of expression and robots are often endued with deeper meanings and become another form of expression. In Professor Kusahara's video, she mentioned that the famous Japanese anime Astro Boy was designed as a robot. The Boy was created with human emotions and ethics for the purpose of encouraging Japanese people to get rid of the fear of nuclear power and have hope for the future. He became the basis for future designing of robots in Japan. Art and technology are perfectly combined as robots to express emotions and feelings.

Assembly Line with robots

Since Henry Ford introduced assembly line mode of production, robots are widely applied in the manufacturing and automobile industry. But robots also can help elderly people with their daily lives and help rescue in disasters as Professor Kusahara said. Today robots are developed in the aspects of both art and technology. In the robot famous movie Wall-E, Wall-E is an old and discarded trash compactor robot. Eve, however, is more good-looking and advanced since "she" is created later. This shows the artistic and technological trend of robot development. 

The industrialization stimulates not only the development of technology but also the integration of art and technology. Robotics are the successful products of this amazing combination.

Wall-E and Eve

Resources:

1. "Robotics MachikoKusahara 1." YouTube. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2013.

2. "Walter Benjamin." Marxists Internet Archive. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2013.

3. "Japanese robot can pick strawberry fields forever for farmer | Space, Military and Medicine |    News.com.au." NewsComAu. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2013.

4. "Wall-E Named Best Movie Of The Decade By TIME." The Pixar Times. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2013.

5. "Astro Boy ~ Cartoon Image." Cartoon Image. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2013.

6."DevFactory Discovers Elusive Secret to Software Excellence."Segment.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2013.