Material design for a robotic arts studio

Abstract

A growing number of artists are using new electronic and computational technologies for the creation of interactive, kinetic, and behavior-based art. However, users without technical backgrounds often find that there is no simple way to begin creating with these new materials without first learning a wide range of programming and electronic skills. This thesis discusses a set of technologies and activities designed for an introductory robotic art course that enable art students with little technical background to experiment with computation as a medium. The thesis presents case studies to highlight how students engaged with these technologies and discusses how the ideas represented in the course make possible a new model for artist/engineer collaboration.