Maker Faire Bay Area 2008
Subjugator and Manipulatrix

Location:   Outdoors   

My small crew and I would like to bring two large radio-controlled robots, the Subjugator and the Manipulatrix, as well as a mortar-style air cannon, and stage a series of small performances. For the pleasure of the machines and the audience alike, we would like to construct a purpose-built prop for these performances. The prop will interact gingerly with the robots until the last performance, at which point it will be devoured! The most exciting aspect, however, will be that the prop will be constructed atop a radio-controlled walking robotic base, that members of the audience will control! The air cannon will also be under audience control.

(If our proposal is accepted, there is a good possibility that I would bring an entire second performance of a very different type. This is a short theatrical piece entitled AMORTEC, and is a collaboration between stilt performer Christina Sporrong and yet another robot of mine, the HD6LAW. A video of the only performance of AMORTEC yet staged can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXR4vYPbuZw† )

My small crew and I will bring two large radio-controlled robots, the Subjugator and the Manipulatrix, as well as a mortar-style air cannon, and stage a series of small performances. For the pleasure of the machines and the audience alike, we will construct a purpose-built prop for these performances. The prop will interact gingerly with the robots until the last performance, at which point it will be devoured! The most exciting aspect, however, will be that the prop will be constructed atop a radio-controlled walking robotic base, that members of the audience will control! The air cannon will also be under audience control.

Additional photos can be found at:

Subjugator:
http://www.christianristow.com/images/subhellcodebut.jpg
http://www.christianristow.com/images/subjugatorandcr.jpg

Manipulatrix:
http://www.christianristow.com/images/manipu1.jpg
http://www.christianristow.com/images/manipu4.jpg

Air Cannon:
http://bp3.blogger.com/_-Vz5gxzaQJw/RnyR8NQ1eTI/AAAAAAAAAJ4/PrYzMW_4Uzo/s1600-h/DSC02351.JPG

Preliminary drawing for Audience-controlled Spider-Clown prop:
http://www.christianristow.com/images/doylespiderclown.jpg

HD6LAW, the robot in AMORTEC:
http://www.christianristow.com/images/hd6lawforweb.jpg

Still photo from AMORTEC:
http://www.christianristow.com/images/amortecimage.jpeg

Web site: http://www.christianristow.com

Project photo.

Topic(s): Arts | Engineering

Tags: robotics performance audience+control

About the Maker(s)

I am a veteran builder of robots, animatronics, and all things kinetic. I have been staging performances under the name Robochrist Industries for about 10 years, and have built special effects for a number of high-profile films. My new work is incorporating more intimacy with the human form, through formal considerations, performance, and interactivity.

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