Hi all -

Please bring or send me a short blurb/bio/artist-statement thingy for yourself as soon as possible! I only have four so far. There was an extension of the grant deadline so there's still a bit of time, but I need them right away. There's no obligation or committment, I just want to send a list of people who are currently coming to the meetings. Thanks.

This week Rob Cruickshank is confirmed to show his sound sculpture, and discuss both the aesthetic and technical aspects of creating it. Also, Colin Hinz had said that he would bring in his project which uses a BASIC Stamp to control a robot. Derek Robinson has offered to do a brief intro to "brains" to get us thinking, with a more in-depth discussion at a later meeting.

Yod LaFarge is scheduled to organize a presentation of pneumatics technology and its use in kinetic artworks for next week, May 27th. The following week, June 3rd, Victoria Scott will present welding and metalworking techniques, assisted by Graham Smith; we will be meeting at Graham's shop on that date, which is at 317 Adelaide Street West (at Peter St.), Suite 202, 585-9434. Who would like to present something on June 10th? At the first meeting, people said that their priorities were to learn about microcontrollers (eg. BASIC Stamp), shop & mechanics, and sensors, so since we're coming along well with the first two, how about something involving sensors; perhaps one of the Sound, Light, or Touch topics listed below? Or one evening on using all types of sensors?

I'd also like some volunteers to lead more thematic discussions; some themes suggested were: remoteness, autonomy, language, "what does a space probe do?", social space, internal models of environments, creating a space, sensing & perception, "what's between input and output?". Others might include: qualities of movement (suggested by Craig Beale), sense/transform/express (suggested as an overall concept by the group), signal vs. noise, telepresence, encoding nature (signal, form, and psyche), information hoarding, the human in the machine, and "body-building". Should we combine these with the more technical workshops? Or we could just schedule a half-hour or so each night to discuss these themes, and try to pick one related to the other presentations that night. Perhaps Rob could suggest an appropriate theme to go along with his sound sculpture presentation this week?

How about aiming for a structure of: 1/2 to 1 hour each of thematic discussion, technical workshop, and show & tell (including works-in-progress in the group)? We also need time to discuss any plans for an exhibition and/or collaborative art projects. There was also the idea that we would organize two or three intensive workshops for this summer, which the instructors would be paid for. Suggestions for topics? Should these be on a Tuesday, or would they be better as a full- or two-day workshop on a weekend - or can people make it on weekdays or other evenings?

Previously, several people had volunteered to organize an evening; these were largely "technical workshop" types of presentations:

Basic Electronics and Fabrication - Rob Cruickshank
Pneumatics - Yod LaFarge
Programming - James Green
Mechanics - Robert Erlich
Welding & Shop - Victoria Scott
Cut & Paste - Rod Prouse
Actuators & Power Systems - Jim Ruxton
Sound - Peter Venuto
Light - Mike Steventon
Radio - Robert Erlich
Touch - James Green
Emotion - Peter Venuto
Brains - Derek Robinson
Active Surplus 101 (walking tour?) - Robert Erlich
Parts Sources - Tom Leonhardt

I'd like to give everyone a chance to organize something, so maybe the people who have signed up for two could find someone else to take the second one.

Here's a crack at a schedule for the next couple of months, for discussion at this week's meeting:

May 20th (this week): Theme - ? Workshop - basic electronics for sound (Rob Cruickshank). Show & Tell - Rob's sound sculpture. Collaboration: discussion of Norm White's proposal.

May 27th: Theme - qualities of movement; encoding nature (form). Workshop - pneumatics (& hydraulics?) (Yod LaFarge, (& Rod Prouse?), others). Show & Tell - Yod's pneumatic bird, other simulations of natural movement. Collaboration: ?

June 3rd: Theme - Motion & emotion; the human in the machine (?). Workshop - welding & shop. Show & Tell - works by Victoria & Graham, other examples of metal fabrication, (telepresence?) etc. Collaboration: ?

June 10th: Theme - perception; encoding nature (signal); signal vs. noise. Workshop - sensors (maybe several people could split this up; sound, light, touch, etc.). Show & Tell - various? Collaboration: ?

June 17th: Theme - "what's between input and output?", autonomy, encoding nature (psyche), internal models of environments, signal vs. noise. Workshop - brains, pattern recognition, filtering (?) (Derek Robinson). Show & Tell - ? Collaboration: ?

June 24th: Intensive workshop? Topic? (possibly Parts, Tools & Sources, Active Surplus 101, etc.?) with reference materials.

July 1st: Theme - language & body language; social space. Workshop - communications systems & networks (Robert Erlich?). Show & Tell - ? Collaboration - ?

July 8th: Theme - remote locomotion, puppetry? Workshop - actuators & power systems (Jim Ruxton). Show & Tell - ? Collaboration - ?

...don't mean to leave anyone out, just wanted to have some options, this is flexible and also the organizer of an evening isn't necessarily the one(s) to present stuff...

Previous meetings:
May 6th: watched videotapes of running & jumping robots from MIT AI Lab, thanks to Bob Bernecky. Discussion of Lego LOGO developed at MIT (Mitch Resnick), radio controlled cars from Toys R Us and plans to convert them to robots (available on the net), cheap hydraulic systems with syringes and tubing (Rod Prouse). Discussion of mechanical puppet theatres in Covenant Garden, London, also an old one in the back of the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto. Victoria Scott mentioned the idea of building armatures out of welding rod, will demo at a later meeting. Colin Harry volunteered to organize some outreach activities; Rod Prouse mentioned the possibility of applying for a special project in education grant from the Ontario Arts Council. Jeff Mann reported that InterAccess had lowered its membership and access fees partly to show support for projects like SpaceProbe; encouraged everyone to join. Decided against applying to Jawa exhibition or Canada Council exhibition grant, since it was felt to be too soon to describe our work. Will go ahead with resubmission of revised production project application to CC. List of volunteers to lead evening presentations (see above). Decided that everyone should give a brief presentation about what skills they can share.

May 13th: videos of "crank art" - mechanical puppetry by a grade 8 class. Did some preliminary scheduling of upcoming evenings. Mike Steventon showed his prototype robot with a motorized crank and counterweight (twonie left over from last week's bill at Squirelly's). Described plans to add spring feet and hydraulic syringes, etc. Related difficulty in creating straight crank; some discussion of machining techniques, Graham will demonstrate in his shop? Jim Ruxton brought several BASIC Stamps available for sale. Further discussion of plans for grant application and request to InterAccess - what do we need money for? Priorities for materials & expenses, resource material development, payment of instructors for intensive workshops, coordinator's fee, and possibly visiting artists/experts.

cu later --
Jeff Mann