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re:publica 18 - Alle Sessions Podcast
Beautiful Robots: Selling Automation to the Public

Beautiful Robots: Selling Automation to the Public

re:publica 18 - Alle Sessions vor 8 Jahren

Promotional material for industrial robots and advanced manufacturing is becoming highly aestheticized, turning tools into objects of desire. In the face of fears about losing jobs to automation, emphasizing the beauty of robots re-positions them in the p

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ginger coons A world-champion table tennis player faces off against
an industrial robot arm in an empty stadium. The colour palette of
the video is dark, moody, with only the orange of the robot
standing out. The arc of the story is just right: at first, the
robot takes an apparently commanding lead, but just when it seems
that all is lost, the human champion makes his comeback, beating
the robot and showing his superior skill. The whole thing is played
out the way most dramatic depictions of sport are: at times fast,
and at times artificially slow, to emphasize moments like the
commanding smash of the racket against the ball. The video closes
on a lighter note, gently recognizing the absurdity of the whole
thing, with the manufacturer acknowledging that they are "Not the
best in table tennis. But probably the best in robotics."
Depictions of automated manufacturing machinery—especially
depictions targeted towards the public—have a complex history.
Because of the much-repeated trope that robots will "take our jobs"
there's a need for manufacturers to publicly-sell not just the
technical merits of their machines, but also softer traits like
beauty, mystique, or humour. Presenting the robot as powerful and
competent is not enough to gain it public acceptance and
appreciation. This talk dives into the symbolism and tactics used
in public-facing depictions of advanced industrial machinery. The
current generation of promotion, led by companies like KUKA, places
robots into situations humans can empathize with. Combined with
cinematography that channels the advertisements of status
categories like luxury cars, advanced industrial machinery is in
the midst of getting a public makeover that positions it as
desirable, not menacing.