Clearer Thinking with Spencer Greenberg Dances with robots (with Catie Cuan)
Jul 21, 2021
Catie Cuan is a dancer, choreographer, and PhD candidate in Mechanical Engineering at Stanford, blending art with technology. She discusses the fascinating intersection of dance and robotics, exploring how dance vocabulary can enhance robotic movement. Catie also delves into the challenges of programming robots to dance and the potential of virtual reality in training them. Additionally, she examines the future of robotics in everyday life and emphasizes the critical role of human collaboration in creative processes with AI.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Dance's Social Role
- Dance helps codify social bonds through rhythmic, repetitive motion.
- Everyone can and should dance, despite common self-consciousness.
Dancers' Motion Vocabulary
- Dancers possess a rich vocabulary for describing motion, including nuanced terms like "space hold".
- They explore a broader design space of motion, including "ugly" or unconventional movements.
Motion's Emotional Impact
- Spencer Greenberg felt creeped out by a synchronized quadcopter show, highlighting motion's psychological impact.
- Catie Cuan's TED Talk robot malfunction changed the performance's meaning, illustrating how motion conveys intent.