XEAI: The accident at the crossroads of art and technology

Awesome Robot Penguins

robert — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 18:49:20 +0000

iRobot unveils new Cybernetic Vacuum with Hamster Intelligence

robert — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 17:13:37 +0000

It’s just some kind of experiment by the mad-vacuum scientists at iRobot but the result of this robot + hamster is compelling if not bizarre:

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Giant Robot Spider Art

robert — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 21:23:12 +0000

Who can argue with this awesomeness??

Giant Robot Spider in Liverpool

Read the full story and check out all the pics!

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Robot Able to Unload Dishwasher

robert — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 20:25:16 +0000

Researchers at Stanford have built a robot capable to handling delicate glassware.

Also, Japanese researchers in concert with Panasonic are working on a robot that can pre-wash, load, and unload the dishes. They believe it will be available for retail purchase within 5 years.

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What if there was a product that could keep you warm AND make you look like a cult member?

robert — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 15:18:49 +0000

New TV-trash product keeps you warm and gives others an ominous sense of foreboding:

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Jack Thompson Disbarred… World Celebrates!

robert — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 16:39:43 +0000

It is a happy day for the video game community as psycho-lawyer Jack Thompson has finally been disbarred!

Read the story on Kotaku

Oh happy day!!

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Tokyo 2008 Toy Show Has Lots o’ Robots

robert — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 19:50:36 +0000

Tokyo Toy Show 2008 – CScoutJapan.com

Sega rolled out creepy insect-dog “Mio”:

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How Videogames Are Made: Enter the Donut

robert — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 20:30:58 +0000

This short on how video games are made was done by the old EAI crew back in 1998. It is just as relevant now as it was then!

Enter The Donut: The Video Game Production Process

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New Big Dog Video

robert — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 20:48:32 +0000

New video from Boston Dynamics:

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These Monkey-Kids Died So You Can Be Safe

robert — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 06:50:27 +0000

People post a lot of strange stuff on the forums of XEAI but this one is a real show stopper.

Born out of an 1960′s public service budget and an LSD-meets-Grimm’s style One Got Fat is the safety film designed to make bicycling safer by SCARING CHILDREN into eschewing bikes altogether.

Before I get into the nuances of this production, let me just blurt out EVERYONE IS DRESSED LIKE A WEIRD MONKEY PERSON. Using cutting-edge special effects available only to documentarians of the era, each child in this film is wearing a paper mache monkey mask (that looks Wizard of Oz inspired) and each has a long tail. There is no explanation for why the kids are dressed like freaky monkey people but I am guessing that this was done to dehumanize them so that you don’t mind seeing them die.

The film plays out like a classic 1980′s horror film in which a group of young friends get together for a fun outing only to find themselves fighting for their lives as they get picked off one by one. In this case we aren’t really supposed to feel sorry for each of the victims because clearly, they deserve to die because they each neglected to follow one the many rules of bike safety like “Keep Right,” “Always Signal,” “License & Register,” etc.

The stage is set for an afternoon picnic in the park. The monkey-kids are doing things that monkey-kids do like pulling each other’s tails and scratching themselves before heading out on their bikes for the 9-block journey to the park.

As in typical horror films and 1960′s movies with obnoxious children whom get their comeuppance, each death is meted out by in a unique fashion so as to not be too boring. From open manhole covers to steam rollers, there is danger around every corner ready and waiting to claim another victim. After each monkey-kid is dispatched, the narrator offers up a witty remark like “Rooty Left the party” or in the case of a death by lack of night-riding gear, “Stanislaw wasn’t quite bright enough.”

Even as their companions drop off, the caravan to the park picnic continues unabated. These are not the kind of creatures you want to depend on.

The film builds to a dramatic conclusion that finally answers the question “What’s with the title?”

Watch and learn:

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