Dance

[skonen_blades]

The main problem that the art of dance faces through the ages is its lack of notation. We still know what a Brahms concerto sounds like because it’s as easy as reading a sheet of music. Choreography has never had an agreed-upon universal language that can be written down.

I’ve been working on something.

The thing about robots is that they don’t know how to move like a human. The thing about motion capture is that it’s only used for video games and film.

I’m putting the two together.

There is a robot in the corner that looks like it’s made of coat hangers, basic hinges, guitar strings, and ping pong balls. It’s absurdly light but I’ve managed to construct it with a proportional human weight. It has a light processor wrapped around the neck in a light donut of a collar that all the guitar strings thread into.

The main processor is on the desk beside me transmitting instructions to the collar.

We had a motion capture session this morning with two ballet dancers, one modern dance enthusiast and a stripper.

My robot is dancing in front of me. It’s like a dream.




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Comments

[donnaidh-sidhe.livejournal.com]

In Strata, Terry Pratchett's main character reminisces about watching robot Morris dancers as a child. The robots existed only to maintain the traditions while humanity built itself back up from near-extinction.

[skonen-blades.livejournal.com]

Well that's a neat idea. I'm not sure I've read that one. Is it a discworld novel?

[donnaidh-sidhe.livejournal.com]

Not officially, but it deals with a disc-shaped alternate version of Earth.

[skonen-blades.livejournal.com]

Interesting. I didn't realize that he did that sort of thing.

[donnaidh-sidhe.livejournal.com]

He has done some non-Discworld. I can't recall when Strata was written, but I surmise it was before The Colour of Magic.

[skonen-blades.livejournal.com]

Well I'll have to give that a perusal.

[donnaidh-sidhe.livejournal.com]

If we're scheduled to be at the same event some time, do remind me to bring my copy along.

[skonen-blades.livejournal.com]

Okey doke.