Robotics are like, so hot right now.
As we speak, Robots being lovingly handcrafted to impress and wow audiences with acts previously considered only capable of being accomplished by humans. If Culture with a captial c was once considered what separated humans from other animals there's another player that's hardwired to be a crowdpleaser.
From fashion, theatre and Pop Music...in Japan, at least...Robots are taking centre stage. In the past 18 months one example after another continually proves that yes, the boundaries between technology and culture are blurring. In ever interesting ways.Hey, you can even get married by a Robot Marriage Celebrant, these days:
But back to the point.
There's the Toyota Partner Robot playing the violin the Japanese pavilion at the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai.
The latest thing to make headlines recently was the premier of a robot in a play which premiered in the Japanese play Sayonara where a humanoid known as Geminoid F plays the part of an android alongside actress Bryerly Long.
This robot was developed by famous Tokyo based robot maker Hiroshi Ishiguro, who is also known for having created a robotic version of himself. The motions of the android actor were controlled from behind the scene during the 20 minute play. Prior to this the robot that created the most buzz was a girlBot called HRP-4C
This is the FemBot launched in Tokyo Fashion Week 2009. She (It?) appeared ont he catwalk during Fashion Week in Tokyo in March 2009. It was designed to look like an average Japanese woman. Very basic, yes. But our very first cellphones, computers and laptops weren't that flash to start with, either.
Then there's this. The HRP-4C created with Yamaha's Vocaloid voice synth software to sing flawlessly. Now we have autotune, this is probably not all that significant. But then, maybe that's a case FOR rather than AGAINST...
More recently, this video was released. Showing us now that not only does the HRP-4C sing, she also performs. Watch her chirp the lyrics to her song, work the crowd, and shake her stuff in sync with her back up dancers. It's pretty amazing.
Holographic Animated Pop Star
OK this video is quite possibly a fake. But when you think about it before the Kinect was released, the video leak for that was actually deemed fake. It probably was....but before the general population knew it, the technology it demonstrated was real.
From where I stand, these small examples are really interesting. Because they're pushing technology centre stage into performing arts - changes a lot. And as our technology continues to evolve in the western world, Japanese invetors are already light years ahead working on the third horizon - transgressing one of the most harder to breach what makes humans, human. Our culture.
How these things - like Robotic Pop Stars and Actors - will translate - or even be embraced - by the western world is unclear. But I think, with the Holographic pop star at least, there's bound to be quite a bankable impact in years to come. I mean, you can totally see a holographic versions of the GORILLAZ in live performance, in the not to distant future....right?
And several sources say that a Westernised version of this holographic Pop Star technology is on it's way.
