Robots at ease

Few days ago unstoppable Google notified me that Agnieszka Pilat visited Melbourne with three robots to demonstrate their painting capabilities.

If painting then National Gallery of Victoria - NGV.
I started Googling: "NGV pilate..." - Google suggested - NGV pilates.

It was enough to distract me, so I followed this lead - results:
- pilates class (gymnastic exercises) on the roof of the gallery,
- Contrology - a sculpture of a board with legs and a fin performing Pilates exercises (note - this was the name used by Joseph Pilates when he invented his exercise technique.)
- Dream of Pilate's wife - engraving from 1874

STOP!
Contrology - time to take control of Google, I enquired "Agnieszka Pilat NGV".
Got her!

Source: Instagram.

Last Sunday, Melbournians could see the robots in action and watch in person an interview with Ms. Agnieszka.

3 o'clock, the very center of the city, what a crowd, traffic, chaos, confusion.
In front of the railway station, a homeless woman is sleeping carelessly on the ground.
A few steps further and I'm right in the middle of this crowd.
I must admit that it was a bit too much for me, I had maybe 150m to go, but after few steps I had had enough.

A calming interlude along the way, a bridge over the Yarra River...

In front of the gallery, a hand with a thumb pointing up encouraged me...

There was also a lot of traffic inside the gallery, free admission, various exhibitions, including those for children.

Only the sculptures of two proletarians brought some peace - only one could fit into the lens...

The interview with Mrs. Agnieszka took place in a huge hall, there were several rows of chairs at the front, then randomly placed chairs, stools, a bar counter, slight confusion.

I sat down in the second row of chairs, a slim blonde was sitting right in front of me, I also noticed yellow shoes, the same ones as in the photo at the beginning of the post...

Czy pani Agnieszka (Ms. Agnieszka)? - I asked in Polish.

Quite a surprise, but Ms. Agnieszka greeted me nicely, we talked for a while in Polish, then switched to English so as not to isolate us from the surroundings.

After a while, a highly titled interviewer approached us, time for the stage...

Unfortunately, this was a disappointment for me.

Firstly, there was a lot of noise in the hall,  secondly - talking through microphones, there was a huge reverberation in the room, it was difficult for me to hear and understand it. The conversation was translated into sign language, I thought deaf people "heard" more.
Thirdly, and most importantly, this conversation did not make much sense to me :(

Here is some approximation of its content - CLICK.

I did not have a chance to talk to Mrs. Agnieszka anymore, so I moved to see the robots in action...

The robots did not paint, they just moved around two rooms connected by a passage with stairs. From this I concluded that they have sight, but I guess they could not hear, I spoke to them in Polish and English and there was no sign of reaction.

So here I will share the questions that bothered me:
- what activities robots are programmed to perform and what activities they perform on their own - if they do anything on their own at all.

Specifically - we turn on the robot and what?
Will it move at all? Why?
On what principle does it change the direction of movement, nod its head, stops, moves from room to room???
Why is it painting?

During the interview, Ms. Agnieszka mentioned that humanity should seriously consider what kind of relationship we want to have with robots, who will be the aristocracy of the future, will technology mature to the stage of creating a religion?

I felt humbled and went to the exit.

A fountain of flames bid me farewell...

Agnieszka Pilat - Wikipedia - CLICK