Month: October 2024

Blast from the past 1996, part 2

The last find in the folder rescued during the move-out from the old Robohut in February 2005 is a postcard advertising RoboFest 7, i.e., seeking additional funding for the event held September 14-15, 1996 at the Dobie Mall.

Front side of a postcard marketing RoboFest 7 held at Dobie Mall September 14-15, 1996.

The gentleman pushing the shopping cart is unknown to me but he was someone known to members, Tom Davidson and Sonia Santana. It would appear that he is ‘dumpster diving’ (a technique to rescue from the municipal waste stream useful electrical, electronic, and mechanical components to repurpose into robots or robotic art).

In his shopping cart of goodies can be seen the Babbling Head (eying the gentlemen pushing the cart), Tai Chi Charlie (articulated arm above and to the left of Babbling Head in the photo), and the torso of a member of the Megabot Army.

Reverse side of a postcard marketing RoboFest 7 held at Dobie Mall September 14-15, 1996.

On the reverse side of the postcard a small inset photo shows the Babbling Head admiring Tai Chi Charlie. The remainder is a plea for funding.

Blast from the past 1996, part I

This will be my penultimate post concerning the folder rescued during the move-out from the old Robohut in February 2005.

Bumper-sticker from The Robot Group, Inc.'s RoboFest 7 held in September 1996.

This RoboFest 7 bumper-sticker reveals something about a couple of exhibits from the September 14-15, 1996 show. Once again, Brooks Coleman’s Mechanical Pitbull can be seen front-and-center. Around that are sketches of what I first though were bombs being dropped. Actually, those are the remote-control hydrogen-filled Cybernetic Airships that thrilled attendees.

Blast from the past 1995

Here is another of the items that I found in an old file folder from The Robot Group, Inc.’s move from the old Robohut in February 2005.

This is a postcard-size flyer advertising RoboFest 6 that was held on April 1-2, 1995. The front side features a photo of Brooks Coleman’s Mechanical Pitbull. The opposite side is a list of sponsors.

Postcard-size flyer advertising RoboFest 6 held in April 1995. The front features a photo of Brooks Coleman's Mechanical Pitbull.

That list of sponsors is a fair indication of how Austin has evolved. Aside from the City of Austin and the Austin Circle of Theatres (morphed into the Austin Creative Alliance as of 2011). Motorola became Freescale then NXP. Origin Systems was purchased from the Garriott brothers by Electronic Arts and dissolved. Jon Lebkowsky and Paco Nathan of still around but Fringeware is but a memory. Most of the other sponsors have vanished.

Postcard-size flyer advertising RoboFest 6 held in April 1995. The reverse side contains a list of sponsors.

Blast from the past 2005

I very recently ran across the postcard below, a souvenir of a visit from Boston-based artist, Ross Miller.

The Robot Group, Inc. had recently vacated the old Robohut and was seeking a new home. In the interim, we were meeting at the Dobie Mall food court. Denise Scioli (who was teaching classes for the Austin Museum of Art at Laguna Gloria), talked Ross into coming over to speak at a gathering of members.

It was nearly a twenty year ago and the details are hazy. Ross was in town under the auspices of Randy Jewett’s Austin Green Art (now-defunct?) organization. He spoke briefly about his own work integrating art into public places then went around the group asking each attendee to explain their interests in art and robotics.

It has long been an inside joke among members that, “If it moves, it is a robot. If it doesn’t, it’s art.”

Front side of postcard with a photo (dated 2005) of one of Austin's Moonlight Towers looking up from ground-level. Courtesy of Ross Miller and Austin Green Art.
Reverse side of the postcard with a paragraph providing a few details and some historical concerns about the Moonlight Towers. A second paragraph details the locations (current as of 2005) of the 17 remaining towers. Courtesy of Ross Miller and Austin Green Art.