Over recent months there’s been a signficant increase of media time focussing on new developments in bipedal (humanoid) robotics. They’re definitely “just over the horizon” in terms of being commercially viable. Usually you see them gleaming under bright pin lights, all white carbo-plastic and synethic alloy components, a fusion of engineering and science-fiction design. But here’s a little snippet (Konzertausschnitt) of how they might look in a more-stripped down, chop-shop, near-future cyberpunk genre. When people on the fringes of the glistening chrome bubble of corporate lifestyle and inane consumerism extract components and knowledge, and fuse them with the desire for experimentation and fun.
The video shows a robot built by Berlin based sculptor Kolja Kugler, performing in a gig. “Radial System” in the early part of 2011.
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It conjures up a lot of visuals from the post-apocalyptic realm of Yellow Dawn (The Age of Hastur), where petrol-head survivors group together into gangs of novapunks: I can imagine this being the kind of thing they patch together; rebelling against the view of most survivors that robots are a bad thing (following Dragon Breath massacres at the outset of the Infection). And knowing the mindset of novapunks they’d probably also put these cobbled-together creations into a fighting bought with salvaged corporate units, such as the previously ubiquitous Sony Houseman robot. If you’re interested in knowing more about this then check out Dog Eat Dog, the first novel set in the world of Yellow Dawn.
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BLURB About the Artist
Kolja Kugler is a native Berlin Artist. In the early nineties Kolja collaborated with The Mutoid Waste Company. They lived, worked and exhibited on the former cold war frontline, Potsdamer Platz, Berlin. One of the most recognized works of this time is “The Lost Tribe of Mig”- project, an immense installation in the city centre of a Mig 21 fighter plan flying out of a four story building. Following years of traveling in Europe with the underground Art movement group Alien Pulse Agency, Kolja took of on his own independent travels around the world. Throughout these travels he exhibited his largest robotic sculpture “Sir Elton Junk”, in various continents including Australia, south east Asia and the Americas. Back in Europe since 2006 Kolja continues shaping sculptures. Contact: koljakugler@googlemail.com
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You May Also Enjoy These:
- Big Bot, by Benedict Campbell
- Remember the Sony Houseman robot we used to play with as kids…
- Remote Presence delivered via robot with synthetic human features
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David J Rodger ¦ Science Fiction & Dark Fantasy 