This week’s discussion of Robotics and Art was not what I expected. I envisioned learning about the ways in which artists and scientists use robotics to create. Instead, we viewed robotics from a cultural perspective, focusing on the history of industrialization and robotics, the implications of such technologies on society, and how these robots and mass-produced media later connect the arts and sciences. One of the works I studied was Walter Benjamin’s “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction”, in which he explores society’s perception of art in the age of mass production. According to him, mass reproduction eliminates the originality and authenticity of art, thus "changing the reaction of the masses toward art." (Benjamin) He describes people who go to films as passive participants to exemplify how reproduced art ultimately results in the “liquidation of the traditional value of the cultural heritage”. (Benjamin) His description of the public as an "absen
I really like your idea about using VR technology, applications on mobiles phones, and functional pillows to induce the Automated Sensory Meridian Response. A lot of people suffer from insomnia nowadays and taking pills would not be an ideal solution in the long term. Therefore, the VASMR you proposed might be very helpful for those who have developed a dependence on pills to be able to fall asleep. I can also see how meditation can combine with the devices to help individuals calm down and sleep. However, a potential concern might be how dependent people would be on the VASMR as they are now on sleeping pills. If a VASMR that facilitate a self-regulated sleep routine is to be developed in the future, it might become the ultimate solution for insomnia.
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