Field notes entry— It was a dumb question: “Why not just run a heating element to keep internal components warm?” Insulating garments are a much more practical solution. Why waste additional energy when one can just wear a coat and preserve what waste heat is generated? Indeed!
“Check your seals!” Beyond its use in the obvious context, I’ve heard this phrase used in a more general sense of “take care” or as a reminder to be sure of oneself; which can have other meanings depending on the personal relationship and setting.
I discovered that the robots perceive the stars in a rather interesting way. Rather than organize them into arbitrary patterns with spatial relationships, they assign a numerical value to each one based on its relative brightness and color temperature. Then they map these to a variety of output configurations: sound scapes, topographic maps, and even haptic maps.
The robots had lots of fun meeting new fans and returning fans— thank your for stopping by and thank you for your support!
September 22-24: Friday 1-8, Saturday 10-7, Sunday 10-5
The robots will be in Artist Alley at table J-05. We’ll be there with new zines, stickers, art prints and more! Come say “beepboop!” (Robot catch-all term: hello, hi, whatever, yep, nope, that thing over there) Check out Rose City Comic Con’s site for tickets and more information.
“Excuse me, cat, when you are ready I will need you to relocate so that I may sweep this area.” The cat made a few last swipes at its whiskers and then stood. It the ambled down the sidewalk a few meters, sat down, and continued grooming. “Thank you,” the robot said and began briskly sweeping the pavement. The cat looked up for a moment and then returned its attention to its ears.
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I documented this scene on the back of a plastic bag given to me on a recent trip by a friendly robot concerned that I may experience some “bias instability or null error with my gyroscope.” (Barf??)
I couldn’t help but wonder what must be going through their mind as they sat there alone and in silence, eyes skyward. Mind adrift in an inky sea, studded with glittering stars.
Hello friend. Save for obvious variations in gross surface anatomy, the robots might appear to be indistinguishable from each other. But each one is wonderfully unique, its life story told via scratches and dents on its housings.
(Don’t forget— the freshest content can be found on Instagram @robotoftheday !)
I spotted this brightly-colored robot across the street, a brief bubble of contemplation in the surrounding bustle of the market district. I know some robots employ temporary methods of decoration; it takes real commitment to go with anodizing dyes.
Hanging around outside a rechargé one evening and these two caught my eye. They appeared to be waiting with patience only robots seem to be able to muster. After a time I made a quick pencil sketch to document the scene. Eventually I began to rummage for an ink pen to proceed further when the third member of their party arrived (from an apparently unexpected vector) and all three proceeded to squeeze into the cab of this improbably tiny vehicle. After just a few moments of arranging themselves, the truck, cargo, and three robots hummed away from the curb and disappeared around the corner into the deepening twilight.
We’ve only just turned the corner on solstice and already we’re dreaming of sunny days and abundant energy. There’s a little rechargé vendor that usually parks their cart at a nearby open space that provides plenty of excellent “robot watching.”
Still catching up! Getting closer.
A quick street portrait. This time of year the night light is harsh, contrasty and full of reflections.
Robot Of The Day 