Dance of the WaterspidersThis Project was submitted to Parallax by Remo Campopiano
Project Description (Phase I)
Eight giant robotic spiders, programmed with the BS2-IC, will dart about a Charles River cove in a spirited ballroom dance of avoidance. Pioneer cyberartist, Remo Campopiano, designed and built the spiders with the help of the Robotics Art Club of New England, a group of 10-13 year olds. The spiders will be dancing to an original composition by critically-acclaimed composer/conductor, Ernesto Klar.
Each 6' x 6' x 2' spider is equipped with the BS2-IC and a sonar distance sensors. In phase I, the spider is programmed to do one thing--when it senses another spider or any obstacle, its motor turns on for 5 seconds propelling the spider away from the obstacle.
 As one spider moves, it invades the personal space of other spiders. This triggers the flight response resulting in a burst of movement. The energy doesn't subside until the spiders self-organize into a pattern evenly spaced throughout the circle. This simple interaction creates a dynamic pattern of movement resembling the random motions of real water spiders. The dance will be based on self-organizing-systems theory, part of complexity theory.
 Performance Description
The setup, monitoring and removal of the spiders is all part of the performance. It begins when an 18 foot box truck pulls up to the water circle. The doors open and 16 kids, two per spider, begin unloading. They are dressed in white lab coats, their pockets filled with tools and test equipment. A well-choreographed unloading process allows each spider to be assembled along the water's edge. This takes about 15 minutes.
The spiders will be active for 2 to 3 hours. During this time, the kids will be spread out around the water circle, monitoring the spider's performance, making adjustments if necessary, talking to the audience about the spiders, collecting email addresses and just having a great time enjoying the limelight. Somewhere on the grounds or in the gazebo, the prototype will be displayed so people can see, close up, how the spiders were made. The performance will end when each spider is safely tucked away in the truck. The duration of the performance is estimated to be four hours.
 Three Phases
Dance of the WaterSpiders is an ongoing project with at least three phases currently planned. In Phase I, we build all 8 spiders and perfect the proximity avoidance program that causes the spiders to run the other way whenever they detect an obstacle.
In Phase II, we create a sound system within each spider that is triggered by the proximity of a specific spider. Once triggered, the two spiders enter into a conversation, directed by the various personalities of each spider. In Phase III, we teach the spiders to school like fish or waterfowl, moving to different parts of a pond depending on weather conditions. Self-organizing-system theory, part of Complexity theory, will determine the behavior of the WaterSpiders.
 The Mechanics
Each spider is powered by two large 24V DC motor and a 24 volt rechargeable battery pack that supplies power to the motor and the computer system.
The direct-drive transmission reduces the rate of spin while it increases the power of the rotation of the clear plastic sphere. The paddle-wheel-like fins on the sphere propel the spider across the water at a fast pace, approximately two feet per second.
BASIC Stamp® 2 module
Each water spider is totally self-controlled, with the exception of a remote-controlled on/off switch. The intelligence of the spider is supplied by a microcontroller called the BASIC Stamp 2 module: BS2-IC. It has 16 I/O ports and a 2k EEPROM to store programs and data. The spider's activities are programmed in PBASIC on a PC and downloaded to the Stamp's EEPROM via a PC serial port.
This web page is courtesy of Remo Campopiano. |