Sisyphus

Sisyphus

Condemned by the gods, Sisyphus must shoulder his boulder up the mountainside for eternity. So too this art robot! Its novel mechanism pulls a steel ball through sand, building intricate dune patterns – only to see them destroyed and built anew.

What inspired you to make this project?:
I have worked on larger versions of Sisyphus since 1997, focused mostly on installations for large public venues. But I would very much like to get it “out there” – to reach a bigger audience than just those who visit science centers where I have installations. My experience introducing the beta-Eggbot kit in San Mateo, 2009, and its release the following year (in collaboration with Evil Mad Science) proved a tremendous example of how making something more available can lead to faster/better development – both in mechanical design, and people authoring and sharing artwork that will "play" on the machine. My hope is that in a similar fashion, lower-cost, home versions of Sisyphus may catalyze greater interest and development of what I believe is a deeply beautiful, but little explored medium.

Project Website