RoboFest 6 was held at the Austin Coliseum on April 1-2 1995.
RoboFest 6 Press Release
Exhibitors & Robot Group Projects:
- Fringeware
A charismatic group of underwire cyberphiles exhibiting their bizarre and unusual technophilia for mass pleasure and consumption.
- Tech Connected
Austin's favorite, techno-community paper. Their April issue features a story on The Robot Group
- Sharir Dance Company
An innovative group of performing artists demonstrated the essence of art and technology co-existing with the synchronicity of poetic motions of sound, lighting and dance in digital expression. Lifeforms, a computerized choreography and animation
program and The Singing Floor, a MIDI based dance floor were the two projects Sharir brought to RoboFest6.
- Mobile Platforms
Glenn Currie and Vadim Konradi continue to improve their system of mobile robots with telepresence capacities. The mobile platform bot wandered around the fest both days amusing the guests and capturing the video feed live. The signal was then broadcast back to a fixed tower of monitors, where the guests could view the action.
Dweebvision
Glenn Currie's original telepresence bot is still a crowd pleaser. Inexpensive and robust the perfect Robot Group project; Dweebvision is a converted RC truck and camera unit, that can be driven quite easily by eager roboteers.
- Brooks Coleman-Perpetual Genius
The Great Wall of Gizmos, The Flying Mobile Blimp, Tai-Chi Arms, creator of the Mechanical Pit Bull and the Shark Blimp; we never know what Brooks will show up with. But it's guaranteed to attract attention. His stuff works, we don't know how, it just does.
- Mechanical Pit Bull
The lean, the mean, THE MACHINE. The Robot Group mascot of sorts. Fresh out of the vet's office, shots in order and ready to dance. The pit bull was seen performing with the drum circle group OUT OF CHAOS. He really seemed to enjoy their beat.
- Martial Arts Robot
Rich Walsh et al's Karate training robot project. This bot had a jab like Mike Tyson and his attitude to boot. Those who took him on came out a bit bruised. This bot has no pain sensors.
- Varmint
A second of The Robot Group mascots. Varmint is the oldest of the mascots and is well on his way to retirement. He did make it through another show though and did perform proudly albeit briefly.
- Face Space
David Santos ongoing software and hardware project on emotion. The "Face" software depicts a variety of emotional expressions that have been pre programmed and rendered. A participant can choose from a menu of options how she/he is feeling today. Could be your virtual avatar application of the future.
- Mark IV
The king of blimps, the majestic mylar masterpiece of our collective spirit. The spokesbeing for our collective hot air personas. So now you know. Enough said.
- Babbling Robot Head
Another work in process, but still pretty impressive. Carved wooden head, exposed skull with
circuit boards controlling motor responses for mouth and neck muscles. This is your future.
The Mandala Systems
Karen Pittman, John Witham and Rob Campanell created and provided the interactive gaming system that is always a crowd pleaser. The Mandala system's camera records pictures of the game players and their movements and converts the image into a digital signal. Then that digital signal is processed in real time with the game program, so that the participants are actually playing in the game on the screen. Way cool, way fun.
- HyperWeb
Tom Davidson and Sonia Santana created Web documents on the fly by capturing images with their video camera and video capture board at RoboFest. The HTML documents were then uploaded to the remote server which was on-line and immediately accessible through the Internet. HyperWeb is providing the Web documentation for The Robot Group.
- BodySynth
Back again for the second year in a row were the tecno-rythmatic dance performance duo of Ed Severinghaus and Chris Van Raalte. The duo has developed and programmed midi equipment and movement sensors to allow a dancer to key sounds with body movements.
- Fred Mitchum
Smooth and melodic, Fred Mitchum performed his ambient techno sounds to sooth the thousands of RoboFest guests. The Robot Group got them wired and excited and Fred calmed them down, so they could enjoy another round of RoboFest. The perfect chill area.
- The Emerging Man
Steve Brudniak captured the essence of machine and man in a timeless work of art that incorporated modern and antiquated technology. Yes that was a tesla coil in the box.
- The Wired Society
An energetic group of folks who were far from tired and of course were completely wired. Jim, Nyssa and James, the CyberTects, who brought us some great animation images and great techno sounds from their booth.
- CRASH
The Computer, Robotics and Artist's Society of Houston. The Robot Group's sister organization in that other Texas city. We were happy to work with this fledgling group of tinkerers and inventors. We wish them continued success.
- WWWebberville
A collection of Internet and World Wide Web providers. The expansion of information providers and web sites continues to amaze us. RoboFest was lucky to have many eager providers/web sites willing to help RoboFest guests with their net needs and web questions.
They were as follows:
- Tripoli Rocketry Association
Hill Country Tripoli- rocket building hobby group. The rockets work, we saw them on their video tapes. They looked awesome. Some of the rocket models were available for viewing at RoboFest. Maybe we need to combine art, robotics and explosive technology next year. Stay tuned. Stuart Barrett, Prefect can be emailed at barrett@add.itg.ti.com.
- Origin Systems
Richard Garriott aka Lord British and his creative design teams brought us new creations from his gaming world. The crowd was introduced to Bioforge and System Shock, 3D interactive games with VR headsets. They really do create worlds.
- The Anti-Gravity Room
Warped and twisted reality in real time any time you choose. This room was mathematically constructed to alter your sense of balance and fool your brain's sensors and generally throw you off kilter. This was one of the most popular attractions. Kids really loved to make their parents go in with them and see them come out dizzy.People waiting in line could see the show inside the room through a TV monitor.
Guest Speakers:
- Glen Currie-Robot Group Member "Robots Everywhere"
- Richard Garriott-Founder/CEO of Origin Systems
- Steve Jackson, Founder/CEO Steve Jackson Games "Web or Die"
- Paco Xander Nathan & John Lebkowsky - Fringeware
- Joanne Pransky -"Robot Psychiatry"
- Ed Sevringhaus -"The BodySynth System"
- Yacov Sharir & Russel Pinkston-Sharir Dance Company- "Art & Technology"
- Bruce Sterling -Writer
- David Smith-EFF- "Laws in Cyberspace"
- Mark Thorpe - "Robot Wars"
Sponsors:
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