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July 22, 2003
Laminated Mouse Brains!
Michelle Delio reports for Wired News from ArtBots: The Robot Talent Show. My favourite exhibit:
Yes, it's icky. But it's essentially a primitive laminated mouse brain CPU! How could anyone who has read the science fiction of Cordwainer Smith possibly fail to feel a frisson of wonder at the very idea?[...]
Also on display was MEART, which stands for multi-electrode array art. MEART is the result of collaboration between U.S. and Australian researchers, who described their project as a prototype of a whole new class of creative beings -- "the semi-living artist."
MEART's movements are controlled by the brain signals of a few thousand cultured rat neurons transmitting to MEART from a petri dish in Atlanta.
The rat neural signals are recorded by 60 two-way electrodes. A computer translates the rodent thoughts into movement and controls MEART's robotic arms, which draw what the rats presumably would draw, assuming they could and would create art.
The resulting artwork is periodically transmitted back to the rat neurons, to provide stimulation and feedback.
As technically impressive as MEART was, some viewers were squeamish about those rat brains.
"Eeeewww," said Shelly Fienstein, a graphic artist who attended the show. "A rat is drawing this stuff? A dead rat? Lots of dead rats? Oh, gross."
[...]
Posted by John at July 22, 2003 09:34 PM
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Comments
You are Commander Suzdal and I claim my five tablets of stroon...
Posted by: Ray at July 23, 2003 09:51 PM
Not at all. There's not a bit of truth to it. There is no such planet as Arachosia, no such people as klopts, no such world as Catland.
Posted by: John at July 23, 2003 10:52 PM
Never mind the science, I'm delighted to see the Cordwainer Smith references.
Posted by: Maserati at October 23, 2004 07:01 AM