Tim Knapen Work Contact
Godmode x

CONTEXT

1. Theo Janssen - Strandbeest

Theo Jansen is a Dutch artist. In 1990, he began building large mechanisms out of PVC that are able to move on their own and, collectively, are entitled, Strandbeest. The kinetic sculptures appear to walk. He strives to equip his creations with their own artificial intelligence so they may avoid obstacles such as the sea, by changing course when detected.

2. Vaucanson's duck

An automaton is a self-operating machine, or a machine or control mechanism designed to automatically follow a predetermined sequence of operations, or respond to predetermined instructions. Some automata, such as bellstrikers in mechanical clocks, are designed to give the illusion to the casual observer that they are operating under their own power.

3. Delaunay Triangulation

In mathematics and computational geometry, a Delaunay triangulation for a given set of discrete points in a plane is a triangulation such that no point is inside the circumcircle of any triangle.

The Delaunay triangulation algorithm was used in Godmode to analyze the shape of an arbitrary drawing. Using triangle made it possible for the software to deal with the drawings in terms of surfaces rather than contours. 

4. Antropomorphism

Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, and intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology.

5. Emergent behaviour

Emergence is a phenomenon whereby larger entities arise through interactions among smaller or simpler entities such that the larger entities exhibit properties the smaller entities do not exhibit. Emergence is central in theories of complex systems. 

Famous examples of emergence in nature are snowflake crystals, flocking in birds and termite mounds.