Presentation Outline

This serves as a basic outline of the presentation I plan to give concerning the use/treatment of robots and robotics in Digital and New Media Art.  I have the presentation divided into 3 basic sections, beginning with basic terms and definitions, then progressing to the condition/use of robotics through history and ending with its applications in contemporary societies (both artistic and otherwise).

Section I - Definitions

A brief overview of a few basic characteristics generally thought to define robothood, along with the difficulties involved in assigning any concrete definition:

 - Mechanical and/or electrical origin (a fabricated device)

 - Autonomy (the ability to function, at least to a degree, without direct control)

 - Programmability (possessing the capacity for its behavior to be set, adjusted and refined)

 - Sensory/mental/physical agency (the ability to sense, process and manipulate parts of the environment)

 - Anthropomorphism/zoomorphism (bearing resemblance - physical and/or behavioral - to a living being)

Section II - History

An outline of robotics (both conceptual and practical) throughout human history:

 - Classical Antiquity (mythological precursors,Chinese automata)

 - Late Antiquity (Heron of Alexandria, Ktesibios, Philon of Byzantion)

 - Middle Ages (al-Jazari, Su Song)

 - Renaissance (Da Vinci's mechanical knight)

 - 17th thru 19th centuries (mechanical figures imitating biological functions)

 - Early to Mid 20th century (Tesla, theoretical literature, industrial use)

Section III - Contemporary Presence 

A survey of common applications of robotics in contemporary society:

 - Industrial (assembly, factory work)

 - Scientific/Research (space and deep sea vehicles)

 - Military (unmanned vehicles, smart weapons)

 - Commercial/Service (Japan, software)

 - Entertainment (animatronics, robot toys)

 - Fine arts (Stellarc, SRL, Rock-a-Fire, Paul McCarthy)