Robotics and Art
Talking about robotics, the first thing that comes up in my mind is the interesting figure in Japanese animation, Doraemon.
The whole story of the animation
revolves around a robotic cat named Doraemon, who travels back in time from the
22nd century to aid a pre-teen boy named Nobita Nobi. The primary focus of the
animation is on the long-term friendship between human and robot. As Professor
Machiko Kusahara pointed out, the robotic culture in japan has its special
attribute. Both artists and scientists in Japan tend to emphasize more on
human-like behavior when creating robotic culture. This kind of idea
distinguishes robotics in Japan from the rest of the world, where robots are primarily
interpreted as a productive labor force.
The development of mechanical
reproduction and flow line production mode induced great change in art
productions. Benjamin, Walter in his work, "The Work of Art in the Age of
Mechanical Reproduction", suggests that it is the first time in world
history that art is emancipated from ritual. With the rapidly spreading of art
and the widely interaction between cultures, people develop great creativity in
a short period of time.
Recently people focus on the
morality and ethics concept behind robotics. One example is the movie I, Robot released
by Twentieth Century Fox on July 16, 2004 in the United States.
The movie is about personal and
collective redemption, making a clear statement about the heart and emotions as
the seat of will, faith, and morality. Future development of artificial intelligence
would finally cause the debate of whether robots should be able to think and
act like human and if so, the possible consequences that it might bring.
Work cited
Benjamin, Walter. “The Work of Art in Age of
Mechanical Reproduction.” Marxists. N.p..
Web. <http://www.marxists.org/reference/subject/philosophy/works/ge/benjamin.htm>.
"Fujiko F. Fujio Museum".
Japan Reference. Retrieved September 11, 2012.
Trussell, R. “I, Robot: You Gotta
Have Heart”, Pikes Peak Community College & Regis University, October 2005.
Vesna, Victoria. “CoLE.” CoLE. N.p.. Apr 2015.
Professor Machiko Kusahara on japanese robotics. “CoLE.” CoLE. N.p.. Apr 2015.
Hi Yekan,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that Japanese artists and scientists emphasize on creating human-like robots. I grew up in Japan and watched the animation, Doraemon, every week as a child. I think I knew back in my head that Doraemo is a robot cat, but because of its human-like character and a deep friendship between Doraemon and Nobita, I forgot that Doraemon is actually a robot. I think that is because the creator of Doraemon intended to do so. Humans keep inventing new technology and making new products. Computers, cell phones, and robots, all of the latest technology we appreciate today were described in the stories or movies only before and they all came true. When I watch the movies such as I, Robot, I feel like it is possible for human to create a robot which has emotions and will.