Bug Life

This is the first in a series of magnetic "bugs" based on a spoon-full of latex.

Eery Life

This footage donated by Pjotr Riedelsperger was shot at Vienna Zentralfriedhof's children's section.
Those toys and teddybears seem so out of place that the weirdness of the view doesn't pass all through the clip.
Wien's Central Cemetary is one of the largest in Europe, so it didn't surprise me that they have their own children's section - although I must say these pictures did surprise me ... on one hand a lot of the graves don't seem to have proper gravestones which contrasts oddly with the colorful toys placed upon the dirt, on the other hand the contrast of this kid-stuff and the grave-candles and crosses etc. in itself is strange enough.
There's this one grave so overloaded with toys! And other graves that look like kids are taking care of them (I figure a lot of kids DO visit siblings' or friends' graves and bring stuff).

Office Life

This sign is on David Calkins' office-door at SFU!
Robots ... Don't be fooled by their friendly attempts to make you a cocktail!

(via)

Robots, Celebrating Life

Russian robots get ready to party ...
... maybe because we have two guests from Russia at ROBOEXOTICA this year?

Besides Sergey Teterin from Perm, who has already arrived in town, Michael a Crest from Petersburg is anticipated to show an installation which includes his Bragofon - the Okku.pator.

( picture via)

Cardboard coming to Life

When a board-game is turning into a game of cardboard robots!
Vienna resident eSeL will stage a life-sized version of the game Ricochet Robot at the opening eve of this year's ROBOEXOTICA, Dec. 5th.

This here is the first prototype he built, together with his pal KaCe - in the end the robot-players will be brightly colored ... and instead of paper-icons they will be moving around hot drinks on the field in Museumsquartier's courtyard.

Life-sized Photography

In Museumsquartier's Freiraum, the current exhibit consists of a giant walk-in camera, which takes life-sized pictures of people!
The monstrous apparatus had been collecting dust stored away for some thirty years and this is the first exhibit since it's been recovered.
The IMAGO 1:1 produces black and white images, 200cm high and 60cm (25in) wide and can be ued to make a self-portrait by any visitor willing (and able) to pay €190,- thru November 19th. (Freiraum - MQ, Museumsplatz 1, 1070 Vienna)

Life as an Odontological Guinea Pig

My dead-but-hurting 3-6 tooth is getting a last chance.
For cost-reasons laser-treatment hadn't been suggested so far, but today I was the human guinea pig in a workshop at the University clinic and had the root-channels of my problem-tooth lasered by a student. Another session is scheduled for next week and this just might save my tooth from having to be pulled.

Life Under Construction

Grinding action at WerkzeugH, where since my last visit quite a few things have been accomplished.
The kitchen looks quite done, the bar as well.
Today I showed Sergey the location of our SMS-bot presentation next Thursday (Nov 9th). And met with Oskar Fischer who will play live at our presentation, to figure out what sound-equipment has to be taken.

Life Taken by Robot Arm

Unrelated to this fine picture, which comes via slava robotam and can be ordered on shirts on cafepress,
TheDetroit News reports of a robot arm pulling a man to his death at an industrial plant:
"He (McGirr) was cleaning a robotic arm and it clicked on for some reason, grabbed him by the back and shoved him into a press," a police Sgt. is quoted.

Eva Hatt from Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) said fatal accidents with robots are rare, but not unheard of in Michigan, which was the first in the nation to report a robot-related death in 1984 when a 34-year-old victim, working with automated die-cast machinery, was pinned between a robot and a steel pole and suffered a heart attack.

(via Suicide Bots)