Atsushi Kobayashi · CLIENT: TV Asahi Corporation
Germination is an immersive art installation that combines an industrial robot arm, lighting and plants. The robot arm is choreographed as a sprout that germinates from the ground after a period of dormancy. LED strips form the roots and provide light that appears as nourishment. A light ball is mounted at the top of the arm and is controlled as if alive. Projection mapping is applied to the stage, which is composed of artifacts and natural elements. The three minute show ends as rays of sunlight shine from clouds and the sprout blooms.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- Germination is an immersive installation which features an industrial robot arm and lighting and plants.
A robot arm is choreographed as a sprout which germinates from the ground after a period of dormancy.
At the beginning of the show, it absorbs nourishment from its LED roots and gradually starts to germinate. And after raining and thundering, it sways in the wind. Rays of sunlight shines from clouds and eventually it will bloom. - Dimensions & Packaging
- Width 3m x Depth 3m x Height 2m
- Tags
- robot, installation, art, immersive, contemporary, projectionmapping, led, TouchDesigner
- Production Technology
- Many processes were taken to realize this installation.
To send a command to control an industrial robot arm remotely, a communication system was developed. The robot arm’s maximum payload was 10kg but moment had to be taken care of.
And an attachment equipment was needed specifically for this robot arm. Wing Robotics, a startup company helped the project to solve these problems and eventually a show control system was developed that everyone can easily use. - Design Challenge
- We took many processes to realize our installation.
To send a command to control an industrial robot arm remotely, we developed a communication system. Maximum payload was 10kg but we had to take care of moment.
And we designed attachment equipment specifically for this robot arm. We collaborated with a startup company to solve these problems and eventually developed a show control system that everyone can easily use. - Project Duration
- The project started in April 2021 in Tokyo, and was exhibited in Go Tech, Tokyo in March 2022.
- Operation Flow
- The show was run by a control system which has a straight forward UI. It can start a robot arm, sound, LED lighting simultaneously. Also it is possible to simulate how everything works on a preview window. The show is 3 minutes long but it can be operated by one person to click a button to start it.
- Research
- Software
TouchDesigner, Blender, Fanuc ROBOGUIDE
Hardware
Fanuc CRX-10iA/L, Windows PC
Support received from
Wing Robotics
Fanuc - Inspiration
- This installation was created with a wish that it is going back to a normal and peaceful world soon and people germinate from constraint and eventually bloom again.
- Image Credits
- Creative Director, Creative Technologist : Atsushi Kobayashi (tv asahi)
Robotics Engineering : Liping Feng, Liang Lin(Wing Robotics)
Flower artist : Akiko Suzuki (Mitsurin Tokyo)
Sound design : Atsushi Kobayashi (tv asahi) - Patents
- Copyrights belong to Atsushi Kobayashi
Press releases are available in 1 languages.