Edward Ihnatowicz
Encyclopedia
Edward Ihnatowicz was a cybernetic sculptor active in the late 1960s and early 1970s
.
His sculptures explored the interaction between his robotic works and the audience.
.
He was a pioneer of the use of computers in art and especially robot
s as art. As Eduardo Kac
states:
He was an active member of the Computer Arts Society
.
. It had four microphones mounted in front of fiberglass
parabolic reflector
s (reminiscent of a flower) on top of a spine-like column of aluminium
castings. Hydraulic piston
s in the vertebra-like units allowed the neck to twist from side-to-side and bend forwards and backwards. An analogue circuit was used to control the hydraulics to move the robot
to face the direction of the predominant sound. It was exhibited at the Cybernetic Serendipity exhibition
which was held initially at the Institute of Contemporary Arts
in London in 1968 and later toured Canada and the US ending at the Exploratorium
in San Francisco. SAM's behaviour, that of turning to face people as they talked and tracking their movement if they continued to make a sound, together with its sensitivity to quiet but sustained noise, rather than loud shouts, encouraged many people to spend time in front if it, trying to attract its attention.
, a large hydraulically actuated robot
that followed the sound and motion of the people around it, giving the impression of being alive. The Senster
was the first robotic sculpture
to be controlled by a computer. It used an array of four microphones to detect the direction of the sound around it and two Doppler radar
arrays to measure the motion of people. A computer program controlled the hydraulic actuators to move the body so that the Senster was attracted by sound and movement but repelled by loud noises and violent motion. The program bears a strong resemblance to that used in behavior-based robotics
developed a decade later.
exhibition at the Edinburgh Festival
, UK in 1973. It was a hydraulically actuated lever controlled by a computer and had two modes: one where it was position controlled and one where it was force controlled. When a visitor first held onto the lever, it was force controlled, with a demand value of zero. The person could thus move the arm as he/she pleased. The computer system recorded the series of motions, then switched to position control mode, where it played the series of positions back to the person. The way the person reacted to the motion of the arm was statistically analysed and the computer program printed out its classification of the gender and temperament of the person.
, Oxford. From 1971 to 1986 he worked as a Research Assistant in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at University College London
.
.
His sculptures explored the interaction between his robotic works and the audience.
.
He was a pioneer of the use of computers in art and especially robot
Robot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
s as art. As Eduardo Kac
Eduardo Kac
Eduardo Kac is an American contemporary artist internationally recognized for his interactive net installations and his bio-art. Kac was born in 1962, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He lives and works in Chicago....
states:
...three artworks created in the mid and late sixties stand as landmarks in the development of robotic art: Nam June PaikNam June PaikNam June Paik was a Korean American artist. He worked with a variety of media and is considered to be the first video artist....
and Shuya Abe's Robot K-456 (1964), Tom Shannon's Squat (1966), and Edward Ihnatowicz's The SensterSensterThe Sensterwas a work of robotic art created by Edward Ihnatowicz. It was commissioned by Philips to be exhibited in the Evoluon, in Eindhoven, the Netherlands and was on display from 1970 to 1974, when it was dismantled....
(1969-1970). While these works are very significant in their own right, they acquire a particular meaning when re-considered today, since seen together they also configure a triangle of new aesthetic issues that has continually informed the main directions in robotic art.
He was an active member of the Computer Arts Society
Computer Arts Society
The Computer Arts Society was founded in 1968, in order to encourage the creative use of computers in the arts.- Foundation :The three founder members of the Society – Alan Sutcliffe, George Mallen, and John Lansdown – had been involved with computing and its related concepts for some time...
.
SAM
His first cybernetic work that moved directly and recognisably in response to what was going on around it was the Sound Activated Mobile (SAM). It had four microphones mounted in front of fiberglass
Fiberglass
Glass fiber is a material consisting of numerous extremely fine fibers of glass.Glassmakers throughout history have experimented with glass fibers, but mass manufacture of glass fiber was only made possible with the invention of finer machine tooling...
parabolic reflector
Parabolic reflector
A parabolic reflector is a reflective device used to collect or project energy such as light, sound, or radio waves. Its shape is that of a circular paraboloid, that is, the surface generated by a parabola revolving around its axis...
s (reminiscent of a flower) on top of a spine-like column of aluminium
Aluminium
Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
castings. Hydraulic piston
Piston
A piston is a component of reciprocating engines, reciprocating pumps, gas compressors and pneumatic cylinders, among other similar mechanisms. It is the moving component that is contained by a cylinder and is made gas-tight by piston rings. In an engine, its purpose is to transfer force from...
s in the vertebra-like units allowed the neck to twist from side-to-side and bend forwards and backwards. An analogue circuit was used to control the hydraulics to move the robot
Robot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
to face the direction of the predominant sound. It was exhibited at the Cybernetic Serendipity exhibition
which was held initially at the Institute of Contemporary Arts
Institute of Contemporary Arts
The Institute of Contemporary Arts is an artistic and cultural centre on The Mall in London, just off Trafalgar Square. It is located within Nash House, part of Carlton House Terrace, near the Duke of York Steps and Admiralty Arch...
in London in 1968 and later toured Canada and the US ending at the Exploratorium
Exploratorium
The Exploratorium is a museum in San Francisco with over 475 participatory exhibits, all of them made onsite, that mix science and art. It also aims to promote museums as informal education centers....
in San Francisco. SAM's behaviour, that of turning to face people as they talked and tracking their movement if they continued to make a sound, together with its sensitivity to quiet but sustained noise, rather than loud shouts, encouraged many people to spend time in front if it, trying to attract its attention.
The Senster
His most significant work was The SensterSenster
The Sensterwas a work of robotic art created by Edward Ihnatowicz. It was commissioned by Philips to be exhibited in the Evoluon, in Eindhoven, the Netherlands and was on display from 1970 to 1974, when it was dismantled....
, a large hydraulically actuated robot
Robot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
that followed the sound and motion of the people around it, giving the impression of being alive. The Senster
Senster
The Sensterwas a work of robotic art created by Edward Ihnatowicz. It was commissioned by Philips to be exhibited in the Evoluon, in Eindhoven, the Netherlands and was on display from 1970 to 1974, when it was dismantled....
was the first robotic sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
to be controlled by a computer. It used an array of four microphones to detect the direction of the sound around it and two Doppler radar
Doppler radar
A Doppler radar is a specialized radar that makes use of the Doppler effect to produce velocity data about objects at a distance. It does this by beaming a microwave signal towards a desired target and listening for its reflection, then analyzing how the frequency of the returned signal has been...
arrays to measure the motion of people. A computer program controlled the hydraulic actuators to move the body so that the Senster was attracted by sound and movement but repelled by loud noises and violent motion. The program bears a strong resemblance to that used in behavior-based robotics
Behavior-based robotics
Behavior-based robotics or behavioral robotics is the branch of robotics that incorporates modular or behavior based AI .- How they work :...
developed a decade later.
The Bandit
His final work of Cybernetic Art was The Bandit, which was exhibited at the Computer Arts SocietyComputer Arts Society
The Computer Arts Society was founded in 1968, in order to encourage the creative use of computers in the arts.- Foundation :The three founder members of the Society – Alan Sutcliffe, George Mallen, and John Lansdown – had been involved with computing and its related concepts for some time...
exhibition at the Edinburgh Festival
Edinburgh Festival
The Edinburgh Festival is a collective term for many arts and cultural festivals that take place in Edinburgh, Scotland each summer, mostly in August...
, UK in 1973. It was a hydraulically actuated lever controlled by a computer and had two modes: one where it was position controlled and one where it was force controlled. When a visitor first held onto the lever, it was force controlled, with a demand value of zero. The person could thus move the arm as he/she pleased. The computer system recorded the series of motions, then switched to position control mode, where it played the series of positions back to the person. The way the person reacted to the motion of the arm was statistically analysed and the computer program printed out its classification of the gender and temperament of the person.
Biography
From 1939 to 1943 he was a war refugee in Romania and Algiers. In 1943 he arrived in Britain and from 1945 to 1949 he attended The Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine ArtThe Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art
The Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art, known as The Ruskin, is an art school and research institute at the University of Oxford.Working collaboratively across two sites, the school provides undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications in the study and production of visual art...
, Oxford. From 1971 to 1986 he worked as a Research Assistant in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
.