Robot Theatre

After class on Wednesday, I went by a lab in the basement of the Fourth Avenue Building that I had run across awhile ago on the web. I couldn't see much, but I wanted to see more. I emailed the director, Marek A. Perkowski, to see if he would give me a tour. We met on Friday. His office looks a lot like some other Engineering offices I've seen - binders and books floor to ceiling. We went downstairs to the Intelligent Robotics Laboratory and it is amazing. There are robots, bins of electronics, charts, stuffed animal parts, masks, computers, books, and a lot of other cool stuff too. I wish there were windows. We talked about his work, and he gave me the low down on robotics today. It seems like he is interested in quantum computing as it relates to robotic control, which would theoretically be superior to any probabilistic model.  He told me about robot theatre and about a lot of things really. It was great. He wants robot theatre, and it hasn't happened. The PhD people start with robots, do amazing things, but gravitate towards software, and don't have the artistic ambition to keep with it. He also works with high school kids (which is really cool), but they are science types and they also gravitate to the tech. The theatre and art people who have come to him conversely get scared off by the tech. I want to work with him, and I am really excited about it. And honestly, I was always more interested in working with op-amps than analyzing their optimal operational capacities using differential equations. PS lab pictures coming soon

This is the link to his web page where you can link to the lab:

web.cecs.pdx.edu/~mperkows/

playing with the reified spectacle

2nd Life is pretty weird I must say.  I have been messing around with it in anticipation of my next meeting with sylvia.  I'm not sure what will happen, and I don't know how much I like the platform, but I am trying to be open minded.   I was pretty amazed that my first choice for my avatar's name, tico praga, was taken.  There are a limited number of last names to choose from, but still.  Then when TicoMahoney Praga was taken, I started to wonder who is on 2nd life afterall.  15 minutes later, I settled on TicoMahoney Sideways...

Some attempts to personalize my look.  You can really do a lot, but it is definitely not a quick process.  I was satisfied enough to shrink my cybergoth chest and change my shirt and hair color.  I might get back to that later.

I guess you can go anywhere in 2nd Life, and buy anything.  Honestly, I can't really control my motor skills in there yet.  I found portland though.  Also, Sylvia's Math Lab in process.  I am standing next to the fish in the 4 dimensional fish tank.  No telling how long it will live since we can't be sure if food is going inside or out. Also you can fly and ride unicorns. 

[repost]After the initial class visit to the Math Resources Lab, I felt excited about working with the department.  The room was filled with so many great books, puzzles, games, etc - all the exciting learning tools that might even muster excitement out of non-believers.  I also felt a connection to Sylvia, the woman we met there, who shared her math triumph story with us.  She struggled with it her whole life until returning to it in adulthood, when she discovered she was quite good at it, enjoyed it, and wanted to stick with it indefinitely.  She has a master's degree now and teaches at PSU.  Unlike Sylvia, I have always been good at math, but returned to learn fine art skills later in my life.  Anyhow, I returned to Neuberger Hall on Friday the 18th to have another chat with her.  We discussed her sculpture based on a Linear Algebra principle, and a little bit about the 17 finite symmetries.  I am more familiar with Linear Algebra.   Eventually, she ended up showing me the virtual lab she is constructing on 2nd Life.   She is getting help from someone she met there who is interested in topology.  It's intended as a study aid for PSU students and the as a resource for the community at large.   Initially, I was pretty amazed by the technology, but honestly, I thought it is no replacement for the 1st life...