Showing posts with label Bézier curve. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bézier curve. Show all posts

Saturday, February 23, 2013

DisgustBot

Here's the latest in my Artificial Emotional Intelligence series for AlphaBots. I'm learning quite a bit about emotions in researching this project. Except that I'm ending up with more questions than answers.

For instance, disgust to me seems absolutely fundamental & visceral, more physical than mental at least in its roots, yet some think it's an emotion that must be learned. I suppose that's true in some cases, but if you've ever seen a baby eat something bitter, this robot's expression will look quite familiar.

I recently read an article about people with trypophobia--  extreme revulsion at the sight of clustered holes. I found most of those images appealing actually, but I love all sorts of patterns in nature. On the other hand, hair in a bathroom drain gives me the major creeps, beyond all reason.

There does seem to be a fair degree of variability & irrationality involved in disgust. What disgusts you that others don't mind? What do you find tolerable that grosses others out? Do you think these reactions were "hard-wired" or did you acquire them over time? Do you find context important? Do you think disgust is always related to fear?

I tried to make this robot look something like a bitter pill, or perhaps a bacterium of some sort... luckily a shape that Illustrator's gradient mesh seems to comprehend a little bit more easily.  That gave me time to get a little carried away with a rivet effect using the dotted line stroke.

My Illustrator interest may have crossed the line into obsession. The other night I dreamed I was trying to control my husband's snore volume using Bézier curve handles, & getting very frustrated with Illustrator when it didn't work! Perhaps that's my subconscious telling me that I'm asking too much of this program? In this case an old-school poke in the shoulder was much more effective. ;-) At least I woke up laughing, which isn't always the case when the snore volume goes to 11!

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

BlissBot

Well, I'm mighty late with my AlphaBot this week, but at least I'm in time to wish you all a blissful Valentine's Day with Oddment 200!

In case you missed the last post, this is the second in an alphabetical robot series I call Artificial Emotional Intelligence. The BlissBot's wires tend to get a bit disheveled when in the throes of his eponymous emotion. But it's all part of his programming. ;-)

Speaking of programs, I'm using this series to teach myself how to "paint" in Adobe Illustrator. In this piece I made extensive use of the gradient mesh, which partly explains why it's so late! It's an amazing tool, but it can drive one a bit nuts, especially as a newbie. And of course I'm still not really satisfied. I hope one shining day to figure out how to make AI gradients tamely do my bidding. For now they definitely still have my knickers (& often my Bézier curves) in a twist. So much for my hope that I'd be as blissful making this bot as I was angstful for the last!

In further adventures in technology with Leah, I have a (sort of) complete new website up! It's supposed to be all mobile-responsive & sharp & fresh & stuff, but I'm still adding images & I'm sure there are still a few snags to work out. In any case I invite you to have a look over there & report back to me with any problems or concerns. I'll be keeping this blog going here for a while until I'm sure I have the hang of things over there!