2. Automata

3. Definition
Automaton -- Something which has the power of spontaneous motion or self-movement. (OED)
pl. automata or automatons

4. Golem Myth
First from Jewish mysticism around the 10th century, where a Rabbi could create a servant to do their bidding.
Most famous was from 16th century Prague, created from river clay and wood to protect the poor of the Jewish sector.
The golem could be controlled by verbal or written commands placed in his mouth.
The golem went out of control when his position went to his head and had to be destroyed.

5. Mechanical Automata Henri-Louis Jaquet-Droz -- swiss watch maker
Jacques de Vaucanson -- french inventor
Wolfgang von Kempelen -- Austro- Hugarian civil servant to the court of empress Maria Theresa

6. Jaquet-Droz’s Creations
Created the writer, the draftsman, a harpsichord player.
Used “cams” that could be interchanged to determine functionality
Cams could be removed, thus was reprogrammable.

7. The Writer

8. The Musician

9. The Singing Birds

10. Vaucanson Built the most intricate automaton Tried to imitate biology
Was hired in 1741 to modernize the french weaving industry, workers rioted at the though of becoming “human parts in a huge automaton”.

11. Android Clarinetist 1838,
Cornelis Jacobus van Oeckelen
(insired by Vaucanson’s flute player)

12. The Duck could flap its wings, eat, and digest grain.
Each wing had about 400 moving parts.
The Duck (1738)

13. The Duck

14. Duck Reproduction

15. Duck Reproduction

16. The Turk
Had critical aclaim and was seen by many import people, including Napoleon, Babbage, and Poe.
It was a fake, and was outed by Poe.
Possibly inspired Babbage to design the Difference Engine.

17. The Turk

18. Gray Walter’s Electric Turtles (1950-51)

19. Braitenburg Vehicles (1987)
Ill John Wiseman

20. This run has three vehicles, each of a different type, and two lamps
This run has three vehicles, each of a different type, and two lamps. Green is the obsessive one. Blue has more self-control and more intelligence. She likes to find a cozy spot near a lamp and settle down, but she will flee if a predator comes too close. Red is the predator; Light doesn't interest her, only the movement of possible prey.

21. This run has two of the simple light-seeking vehicles that made their debut in the previous simulation. It also includes three lamps. What makes things interesting here is that the lamps have some awareness of their surroundings: when they detect nearby movement, they dim themselves.

23. Cellular Automata
CA expands the idea of a single automaton to a community of interacting automata.

24. Langton’s ALife Colony

25. Langton’s ALife Colony

26. Separation
Alignment
Cohesion
Craig Reynold’s Boids

32. Mathematical Automaton
A formalize theory for describing ordered machines processes that may or may not have input and output.
Typically represented as a directed graph.

33. Stop Light Automata

34. BEAM Robotics -- Mark Tilden (early 1990’s)
Biology Electronics Aesthetics Mechanics

35. Alife