Roving Walter Walter -The Autonomous
Artificial Artist -First of Kin
Walter Benjamin was convinced that technologically
mediated artistic achievements were simply inferior to the traditional
arts because they lacked authenticity and charisma. William Grey Walter
built the first electromechanical behavioral species, which he named
machina speculatrix. His tortoises had a transparant plastic shell
and were responsive to their environment. They were undoubtedly authentic
and truly charismatic. Purpose: to build a creature, and later on
a species, that is strong, flexible, and powerful enought to execute
nomadic art missions in earthlike and other critical environments.
Are acoustic and visual information treated similarly at higher levels
of processing where the integration is presumed to occur (in the brain
of course)? Are the socio-cultural and geographical differences within
audiovisual perception relevant for the further development of an
art[ificial]ist species (2AS)? Is a mobile, responsive, behavioral,
environmentally conscious, and essentially audiovisually perceiving,
art[ificial]ist species able to create (maybe for the first time in
history) a responsible art for all humans, animals and machines? Roving
Walter Walter consists of a set of 4 independently controlled wheels,
a camera and 2 microphones. It races across the room, analysing perceived
audio + visual data. It localises sounds and objects for sampling,
and keeps track of collections of data it acquired in the past on
other locations. Thus: his constitution is essentially nomadic in
nature like most humans. Based on the sampled material it generates
series of audio and visuals, within a time-based composition. Cultural
change is the keyword here. Roving Walter Walter is able to compute
the difference between previously recorded audiovisuals and the currently
acquired material. This is the basis for new and intelligent synthesis.
The analysis, mobility, sampling, and synthesis algorithm is carried
out by a small portable computer on the chassis. The continuous composition
is displayed on an high quality lcd-screen and mobile loudspeakers,
integrated in the design. Roving Walter Walter behaves like a smart
pet, following visitors and showing them the beauty of audiovisual
realtime creations. When Roving Walter Walter's pedagogical functions
get activated (critical interaural+visual response to the environment)
it computes a localised version of the "internationale" (Eugene Pottier,
Paris, 1871). Roving Walter Walter can cite from memory 13 versions
of this historical composition, in most commonly spoken languages
and in all popular orchestrations. On top of that, Roving Walter Walter
can improvise on the theme, and suggest viable future versions to
a bewildered audience. After simply being switched on|off, Roving
Walter Walter knows when to sleep and work by himself on location,
no additional assistance is needed. Roving Walter Walter is an independent
pioneering ar[tificial]ist, 01 of a new species, authentic and charismatic.
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