Showing posts with label Dotted Line Stroke. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dotted Line Stroke. 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!