2007 Rockefeller New Media Foundation Proposal

Abstract

The Inflatable Bodies are computer-controlled robotic fabric sculptures capable of fluid movement and interaction with humans in dynamic, visceral new ways. In this latest generation of interactive performance sculpture from Amorphic Robot Works, the limiting factors of weight and size have been eliminated by the use of high-tensile inflatable fabric "skeletons" activated by servo-controlled inflatable fabric "muscles." The innovation of a universal joint permits an unprecedented range and kind of movement that is as broad as that for muscle and bone, but with little of the mass. The new robotic form that results is compelling because it conforms neither to standard conceptions of robotics nor to existing understanding of kinetic sculpture, and gives rise to practically limitless potential for improvisational performance and interactive installation.