Tatsuya Matsui: Flower Robotics
Writing by Conner Flynn on Friday, 14 of December , 2007 at 1:10 am
Tatsuya Matsui is exhibiting robots with the ability to evoke human emotions, which is an absolute necessity if we are to get them in every home and be treated like a family member. A robot can’t live side by side with emotional humans, if it can’t share and respond in the emotional experience of humans. The exhibition is entitled “Flower Robotics”. Matsui believes that robots are like flowers. That they can be delicate and beautiful at the same time. He also believes they are endearing and need nurturing.
Take Posy for instance, a wedding maiden designed to express a 3-year-old girl’s pure view of the world. She can’t do much but proffer flowers, but never fails to evoke empathy in the viewer. This emotional response somehow manages to overcome the creep factor of the blank face and dead eyes of the robot.
Metri is a large and grub-like robot with soft skin that gropes about in a creepy fashion. Matsui is interested in our reactions to inanimate objects that seem to be alive. His machines somehow manage to sooth rather then frighten.
Palette, the mannequin robot is a white humanoid on a spotlighted black dais. Palette actually has a practical use though. By gracefully swinging its arms it can enhance the appeal of any blouse it wears. It’s resume already includes modeling for Louis Vuitton and Hane Mori designs. Plus, a vision sensor allows Palette to react to any viewers’ presence.
Tatsuya Matsui somehow succeeds in bridging the emotional gulf between humans and robots, where many others have failed.
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