Robotic Performance Platform
Pandemonium
Pandemonium is a multimedia performance by artist Michelle Lopez, commissioned for the Franklin Institute's Fels Planetarium. I worked on the engineering and system integration of its 6-DOF robotic platform.
Performance System
The performance combined a 360-degree tornado film, three live violas, and three speakers mounted on the robotic platform.
- Fels Planetarium
- Three live violas
- Three moving speakers
Motion Capture
A lightweight triangular rig with Vicon sensors recorded a dancer's hip movement as motion input for the platform.
- Vicon sensors
- Triangular tracking rig
- Dancer-driven movement
Custom Joints
I designed and fabricated custom 3-DOF joints for each actuator endpoint with the Penn Mechanical Engineering Department, using steel stock and stress and fatigue analysis.
- Custom 3-DOF joints
- Basic steel stock
- Stress and fatigue analysis
Motion Processing
Vicon data was exported to Excel and processed in a custom MATLAB simulation. We adjusted gains and edited the data to preserve expression within the platform's operating range.
- Excel motion data
- MATLAB simulation
- Gain tuning
Live Performance
The audience lay beneath the dome surrounded by robotic motion, live violas, and amplified mechanical sound.
- Planetarium audience
- Robotic motion
- Mechanical sound
