Videos | Think Artificial

Playing the Super Mario Themesong With Tesla Coils

Nov 5, 20070

Tesla Coils playing the Mario Bros theme
Hook two solid state Tesla coils up with a laptop and channel midi through to get sparks synchronized with the Super Mario Bros. themesong. I thought this was fun before I realized that the music is actually coming from the Tesla coils — there are NO speakers! At that point I flipped open the head of my desk statue and pressed the red button, opening the secret passage to the Artificial Cave where I wrote this entry.

Puzzling with Portals

Oct 10, 20077

My favorite game of all time must be Myst — a puzzle solver that held me occupied for several months finding my way around surreal architectures. I’ve yet to find a game which has captured my attention to that extent, but there’ve been some that came close; and they all require either a puzzle solving aspect to it or a very original and compelling storyline for me to enjoy them (usually both). Unfortunately, that doesn’t leave many games that I can truly enjoy, but the recently debuted Portal looks like a strong contender.

Mechanized, Transforming Dresses

Oct 7, 20077

This video is apparently very popular online right now, I guess because of the appearance of a naked lady and the word “transformer” being combined in it. The video shows the creations of British designer Hussein Chalayan; mechanized dresses that transform by pulling and shifting fabrics via motors (I presume). It looks really great, and yes, I would like clothes that do this. A jacket that pulls up it’s sleeves when its warm outside instantly comes to mind. [Continue reading for the video]

Two Dead Liquids That Seem Alive

Sep 29, 20070

Ferrofluid screenshot
Boy is this an aesthetically superior post. Here are two liquids that only seem a voice away from whispering their dreams and ambitions.

Robot Morphs Its Face, Can Look Like You

Sep 18, 20078

This has to be the coolest piece of machinery I’ve seen all month. Straight out of a sci-fi movie: The WD-2 robot is a mechanized face that can morph its shape to fit nearly any facial structure (Video included). Paired with a facial projector, this robot can look like almost anyone.

Through The Mechanical Looking Glass

Sep 17, 20072

An exhibit at Bitforms. A series of motorized, multi-colored belts make up a surface. A camera (I presume) detects what’s in front of the surface, and the belts align to produce a similar pattern. All for you, Alice. [Continue reading for video]

World’s Smallest Humanoid Robot (from GeStream)

Sep 15, 20070

It seems a new titleholder for the world’s smallest humanoid robot has just debuted. The robot stands only 15cm tall! When I was young..er, I remember thinking how awesome it would be if my GI Joes were mechanical and could move around and act on their own intiative. Seems we’re getting closer to that dream of my younger self. (Okay, you got me, I’d still play with them.)

Short and Funny Robot CGI Video

Sep 12, 20070

Here’s a really short but funny video. The CGI effects are pretty nice, and the robot design is kind of hot too. Reminds me of Nuvo.

When Intelligent Systems Surprise Us

Sep 10, 20075

SONY AIBO playing with kids With the complexity of modern AI systems, they sometimes come up with solutions we don’t expect … when we least expect it. Here’s a great video example of this; an AIBO robot is presented with a problem that seems to have only one possible solution. Can you figure out more than one? The AIBO can.