Three Physical Computing Artists

Natalie Jeremijenko

A lot of her artwork deals with a combination of nature and technology, and how our technological advancements can work for the betterment of our environment and human interaction.

Feral Robot Dogs - This is an ongoing community project where individual designers, classrooms, and teams construct their own sensor-based robotic dogs. Their purpose is entirely up to the decisions of the makers: some can detect chemical signals, navigate terrain, or just be a simple group project for a class. Jeremijenko seems to have a common theme amongst her pieces that evoke a sense of camaraderie in society as a whole, through her projects based on societal collaboration and environmental preservation. These dogs provide a good learning and experimental experience with creating a unique version of a cohesive design. There is a collection of robotic "feral" dogs around the world thanks to this project.

Urban Space Station - A protoype in the works, this idea for a complex greenhouse system was created in collaboration with architect Angel Borrego Cubero. It is an advanced means of exchange based around cities with a high density population. Its objective is to create a harmony between flora and human fauna by filtering human waste and carbon dioxide through a 'nature space' suspended above the city proper. It is an idea of grand scale that is also being applied for possibilities of long term space flight.

Phillip Stearns

He deals with a wide variety of digital mediums, including the physical nature of the computing software, the products it can make, and the actual information that computers and other devices utilize.

Listening to the Ocean on a Shore of Gypsum Sand  - This piece consists of very intricate, 3D printed seashells made from a very fragile gypsum material. It is a comparison of the digitally crafted versus the natural, and what we would expect to hear from a 3D printed shell versus a natural one we may find on the beach. It plays with the aspect of trust we hold for nature, and our possible feelings for things that are similar, but artificial. The shells are beautiful but somewhat hostile looking, and I think this is a very interesting take on people's perceptions of technology and its reproductions.

Alpha, Beta, Gamma - A simple piece, this one has a fluorescent light tube situated vertically. The energetic particles within the tube collide with an installed Geiger counter, which then creates a shower of elementary particles, rendered visible by electronics. These radioactive particles that would otherwise be invisible to us are suddenly rendered visible. It is a brief look at the pulses of ionizing radiation that can damage biological tissue, and are created anywhere from nuclear fission to the depths of the cosmos. This is just a small, eye-opening gesture.

Song Lee

A designer more than anything, she utilizes sensors and computing for creating her helpful products as well as original works of art.

Drawing Machine - This very aesthetically pleasing machine is set up with an Arduino, sensors, and joystick controls. It automatedly designs rhythmic, circular, and three dimensional shapes on paper based on the inputs of the user. Although, it is very easy to see the drawings as being the creation of the machine itself.

WristGuard  - This practical piece of equipment addresses a very specific, but rather unknown and serious problem within modern day society. Sanitation workers face a worryingly high fatality rate on the job, even moreso than firefighters and police officers. Usually this is caused by impatient drivers, mishandling of machinery or waste, and being fatally injured by debris from compaction. A lot of sanitation workers become desensitized to the dangers they face because they're out on the streets every day. But Lee has designed a wrist system to warn sanitation workers of oncoming cars. This obviously only addresses one aspect of what makes their jobs so dangerous, but it is a major step forward for something that is usually overlooked.