Impact Projects
Autonomous River Cleanup (ARC)
A student-led initiative at ETH Zurich. The project is supported by the ETH RobotX. The mission of the ARC project is to use technology, robotics, and automation, to maximize the impact of plastic removal from rivers, developing a system that is able to reduce river-bound plastic waste significantly, acting as a viable solution to the world-wide plastic pollution epidemic. More info here.
RAUC
The first PATHOS modules, live in Anima I by Lea Pereyre at EPFL's Pavillion Nature of Robotics 2020. Walking Canvas: Pors and Rao in technical collaboration with RSL. Demonstrated at the ETH Pavillion in Davos 2020.
The first prototype of motion curve editor feature, of PATHOS project started at Wyss Zürich in 2017.
The aim of the RAUC is to connect robotics to visual arts. By developing an online animatronics platform called PATHOS, we hope to enable non-technical people to access tools for robotic animation, which in turn can open up new possibilities for visual culture and artistic practice. These are the three focus areas:
Aesthetics
Currently the development of robots is largely driven by the industrial requirements. The center explores robotics as a physical and performative language of motion and response where the technology serves as a new visual medium for the individual.
Sentience
Approaching physical movement as communication is at the heart of the RUAC, particularly the notion of a sentient presence where complex inner states are revealed through the nuances of physical behavior.
Usability
A key aspect of our platform (PATHOS) is the ability to control motion and behaviour parameters through a friendly browser interface, thereby removing the need for complicated and expensive engineering softwares.
The mission is to develop the PATHOS tools, conduct workshops, collaborations and hold public exhibitions to share its tools and vision.
The project was initiated by the Indo-Danish art duo Pors & Rao during an artist residency at the external page external page Wyss Zurich in early 2017. The frustrations they faced over a period of 15 years while working with robotic technologies created the basis of approaching robotics as a performative medium for non-engineers