digest | Art Intelligence: meet Ai-Da the humanoid robot

Through the eyes of AI.
June 20, 2019


image | above
An abstract painting made with artificial intelligence: by Ai-Da the humanoid robot.

artwork: Univ. of Oxford


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— in this post —

~ story
~ quote
~ exhibit
~ featurette
~ artwork
~ reference


— story —

An exhibition of paintings, drawings, and sculpture made by Ai-Da — a humanoid robot built with artificial intelligence and fashioned with mechanical arms — was unveiled in the United Kingdom.

Ai-Da robot — named for pioneering scientist Ada Lovelace — debuted with her creations at the Barn Gallery, located at the University of Oxford.

The AI robot — invented by gallery director Aidan Meller — can draw things from life using a built-in camera, a mechanical arm developed at the University of Leeds, and computer algorithms developed by experts at the University of Oxford.

To draw, the robot’s camera analyzes objects in front of it and creates a virtual path. That data is put into a path execution algorithm that produces spatial coordinates for the robotic arm. The exhibition — called Unsecured Futures — also features Ai-Da performing. She starts with pencil sketches before switching to paint + clay.

— how the artwork was made  —

1. | portrait drawings

Modern facial recognition tech helps Ai-Da draw pencil portraits of people by scanning their features with the cameras in her eyes, and using the robotic arm to map the faces on paper.

2. | abstract paintings

To create paintings, Ai-Da’s drawings are fed into mathematical computer algorithms (formulas) that plot her sketches on a grid to create abstract versions of her art.

3. | sculpture

A 3-D printed sculpture of a bee was created with a drawing Ai-Da made from a scan of an actual bee. This drawing was fed into an algorithm that interpreted the coordinates of the drawing. The result was a distortion of the original bee anatomy — this was 3-D printed in wax and cast in bronze.


— quote —

from: Aiden Meller
bio: Director at the Barn Gallery • Univ. of Oxford
bio: creator • the Ai-Da robot

Ai-Da’s solo exhibit titled Unsecured Futures presents her fine artwork: drawings, paintings, sculpture, and video art. Thematically it questions our relationship with tech + the natural world — by presenting how AI and new tech can be progressive, disruptive, and also destructive within our society.

As a humanoid robot, she’s an art object herself. The exhibit showcases the boundaries between AI and organic life. As new tech develops rapidly, our world is morphing in response. What are those responses?

Is tech shaped in our own image — reflecting our impulses and needs? More precisely, in whose image is tech formed? How does that impact a highly diverse and unequal world.

Aidan Meller


image | below
A photo of Ai-Da the humanoid robot artist.

photo: Univ. of Oxford



— exhibit —

venue: Univ. of Oxford
gallery: the Barn Gallery
exhibition: Unsecured Futures
date: July 2019


— featurette —

about: A profile on Ai-Da the humanoid robot artist.
from: Al Jazeera
watch: featurette



image | above
A sketch portrait made with artificial intelligence: by Ai-Da the humanoid robot.

artwork: Univ. of Oxford



image | above
A 3-D sculpture of a honey bee made with artificial intelligence: by Ai-Da the humanoid robot.

artwork: Univ. of Oxford


on the web | pages

Ai-Da | home
Ai-Da | YouTube channel

Aiden Meller | home





— reference —

~ learning
~ reading


on the web | learning

Computer History Museum | Ada Lovelace
Biography | Ada Lovelace


on the web | reading

Dezeen | AI robot Ai-Da presents her original artworks
deck: Univ. of Oxford exhibition.

the Telegraph | Ai-Da review
deck: Disappointingly unterrifying.

Interesting Engineering | An AI robot artist is creating art that has sold for more than £1 million
deck: This humanoid robot is making us question the nature of creativity, and what constitutes real art.


— notes —

AI = artificial intelligence
3-D = three dimensional