[atlantaprog] [eyedrum-announcement-list] dorkbot-atl meeting

My apologies to subscribers to this list for the extra email and the dorkbot folks as I wanted to include this in eyedrum's weekly email but simply forgot.

Scott



The next dorkbot-atl meeting will take place on Thursday, March 9 at
7 p.m., in the Couch Building (music department) at Georgia Tech.

Full details are here:
http://dorkbot.org/dorkbotatl/03092006/

Directions are here:
http://dorkbot.org/dorkbotatl/directions.html

We've got two fascinating presentations on the schedule:

ELLEN DO: EXPLORING PHYSICAL COMPUTING

Advances in micro-controller and communication technologies have led
to a new wave of embedding computation in physical artifacts and
environments. As architects with a background in computing, the
intersection between the physical and computation has sparked our
imagination and driven us to explore the relationship. We refer to
these explorations as "physical computing" which overlaps other
paradigms: ubiquitous, wearable, tangible, invisible, etc.,
computing. By physical computing we mean systems that incorporate
both material and computational media, perhaps, for example,
employing mechanical and electronic systems for the creation and
exploration of interfaces for computationally enhanced objects and
spaces.
Ellen Yi-Luen Do recently joined the faculty in College of
Architecture & College of Computing at Georgia Tech from Carnegie
Mellon University. She is committed to building better design tools,
from understanding the human intelligence involved in the design
process and leading to the improvement of the interface with
computers. Her research explores new modalities of communication,
collaboration, and coordination, as well as the physical and virtual
worlds that push the current boundaries of computing environments for
design.

DOUGLAS BAKKUM, PHIL GAMBLEN, GUY BEN ARY: MEART

“MEART – The Semi Living Artist” is a geographically detached, bio-
cybernetic research and development project exploring aspects of
creativity and artistry in the age of new biological technologies
from both artistic and scientific perspectives. It is an installation
distributed between two locations in the world. Its “brain” consists
of cultured nerve cells that grow in a neuro-engineering lab, in
Atlanta. Its “body” is a robotic drawing arm that is capable of
producing two-dimensional drawings. The “brain” and the “body”
communicate in real time with each other for the duration of an
exhibition.

MEART is assembled from:
* “Wetware” – neurons from embryonic rat cortex grown over a Multi
Electrode Array.
* “Hardware” – the robotic arm
* “Software” – that interfaces between the wetware and the hardware.
* The Internet is used to mediate between its components and overcome
its geographical detachment.
MEART suggests future scenarios where humans will create/grow/
manufacture intuitive and creative “thinking entities” that could be
intelligent and unpredictable beings. They may be created by humans
for anthropocentric use, but as they will be creative and
unpredictable they might not necessarily stay the way they were
originally intended. MEART’s behavior and the activity of the nerve
cells are subject to a scientific investigation of the biological
basis of learning, memory, and creativity.

Douglas Bakkum Born in USA, lived in Slovakia and France. Received a
BS and MS in Mechanical Engineering which provided insight into the
workings of the physical world, but he is now interested in the
workings of the mind and its perception of the physical world.
Currently a doctoral student in the Bioengineering Department at
Georgia Tech under the guidance of Steve Potter. Interested in
embodying cultured neurons with robots to study the importance of
environment in the processes of neural networks.

Phil Gamblen Born in England, trained and worked as a gem cutter in
Canada before moving to Australia and migrating into the arts where
he graduated with a Honours Degree in Fine Art (sculpture).
Specialises in the use of mechanics, electronics, and robotics to
create kinetic art. Current artworks utilise motion and light to
investigate technological aspects of today’s culture, the overlap of
art and science and the re-use of obsolete and discarded materials.
The physical forces and structures within nature are of great
interest to him and are a constant reference in his work.

Guy Ben Ary: Artist, working in the area of art & biology. Currently
living and working in WA. Artist in resident in SymbioticA – The Art
& Science Collaborative Lab. Specializes in microscopy, biological &
digital imaging & artistic visualization of biological data. His Main
research area is cybernetics and the interface of biological material
to robotics. Member of the group that developed “MEART - the semi
living artist”. Collaborated with the Tissue Culture & Art Project
for 4 year. He is also on the development of a new project titled the
“living screen” – Investigating the interface between BioArt & Film
theory.

As always, dorkbot is free and open to the public.



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