Feb 29 2016
The LBR iiwa holds a calligraphy pen. KUKA robots create art at the “Kreative Robotik” exhibition. In the foyer of the Austrian Ars Electronica Centers (AEC), the LBR iiwa and the KUKA KR 16 – an industrial robot for low payloads – demonstrate how humans and machines can work creatively together.
The LBR iiwa uses a calligraphy pen to replicate photos of visitors.
KUKA lightweight robot calculates the brightness of pixels
In the robotics laboratory at the University of Art and Design Linz, the LBR iiwa has learnt a new skill. It is presenting it in the foyer of the AEC. It photographs a visitor and then calculates the brightness of each individual pixel. It then uses the calligraphy pen to reproduce the photo. For this, the lightweight robot uses the narrow side of the nib for every light pixel. For each dark pixel, it uses the broad side. In this way, a clear replica of the photo is gradually produced.
See here how the KUKA LBR iiwa draws replica selfies of exhibition visitors.
KUKA robot for low payloads draws light motifs
The industrial robot swings an LED wand to create light motifs at the exhibition. This is achieved using long exposure times and corresponding software. The images are displayed on a screen. And also in the Deep Space of the AEC. The developer of the technology is Chris Noelle from the University of Art and Design Linz.
The drawing LBR iiwa and the entire art exhibition at the AEC were a co-production of the University of Art and Design Linz, the Association for Robots in Architecture, the RWTH Aachen University and KUKA Roboter CEE GmbH.