The Robotics Theater

The Cooper Union Robot Theater Laboratory was established in September 2001, to explore the application of off-the-shelf mobile robot platforms in a multi-agent, theatrical performance environment. A seed equipment grant was provided by Cooper Union and a matching NSF grant (NSF/DUE No. 9980873), and additional support for staff and theater/studio implementation was provided by the NSF Gateway Engineering Education Coalition at Cooper Union.

The Laboratory produced Camouflage Town, an interactive, theatrical, telerobotic installation which lived in the Whitney Museum of American Art as part of the exhibition Data Dynamics, presented during March 20-June 10, 2001. The Camouflage Town exhibit was web-cast live, and its documentation has been archived at http://www.camouflagetown.tv.

The Laboratory is establishing common ground for collaboration between educators and students of art and engineering, and provide an interdisciplinary educational environment for further project-based learning in the area of multi-agent, mobile robotics. The Laboratory currently houses two ActivMedia PeopleBots, three ActivMedia AmigoBots, one Magellan Pro Mobile Robot, a network of personal computers for software development and control, and an assortment of studio audio/video and lighting equipment.