Parasites & Robotics
Salvador Marino
DATES
July 28th-August 1st from
18:00-22:00
The workshop lasts 5 days – 4 hours per day
Total 20 hours.
LOCATION
SYBIL
Leuschnerdamm 13, Aufgang 3 / EG, 10999 Berlin
SUBSCRIPTION
DESCRIPTION
Parasites and Robotics is a sci-fi workshop that bridges biology and robotics, drawing parallels between natural evolution and technological design. By examining concepts such as body architecture, sensory perception, hosts, evolution, and behavior, participants will dive into how parasites evolve and interact with their environments and how these biological principles can inspire robotic design.
Through creative exercises, participants will explore how robotic bodies emerge as adaptive entities in environments within digital and physical ecosystems. The workshop invites reflection on environments, interfaces, host bodies, evolution, and the dynamic relationship between organic and artificial life forms.
Using Arduino boards and laptops as a host body, we will explore an ecosystem of processing environments, like Ableton, TouchDesigner, Pure Data, to create an interactive environment to prototype our robot’s behavior. At the end of the workshop, participants will collectively prototype their parasitic robot.
AIMS
- Bridge biological principles of parasites with robotics, focusing on adaptation, movement, and sensory perception.
- Introduce participants to the fundamental concepts of Arduino, actuators, and robotic sensors.
- Develop hands-on experience in building and programming robotic systems using open-source platforms.
- Explore different Processing Environments, like Touch Designer or Pure Data, and other programs that can be used to control robots with a Host computer, integrating programming with physical movement.
- Support participants in conceptualizing and prototyping their own robotic projects within a collaborative framework.
- Dive into extreme biological adaptations and sci-fi, exploring how they can inspire new ways of thinking beyond a human perspective.
WHO CAN JOIN:
This workshop is open to creative minds, artists, performers, designers, and anyone interested in robotics, biology, programming, interactive installations, and interdisciplinary research. No prior experience is required. No previous experience with Arduino required.
REQUIREMENTS
We recommend bringing your own laptop. All other materials for building your robot will be provided.
CERTIFICATE
All participants will receive a Certificate of Completion from IBO, which can be used in portfolios or for academic applications.
SYLLABUS
Each session combines theoretical concepts of biology, practical design, and creative process, with critical reflection, structured around these core topics:
● Body & Boards |
Explore the anatomical structures of parasites and compare them with the evolving architecture of Arduino hardware.
● Adaptation & Development |
Investigate how biological adaptations can inform iterative design strategies in robotics.
● Sensorial Organs & Sensors |
Understand how organisms perceive their environments and learn to replicate these functions using robotic sensors.
● Appendages & Actuators |
Examine the diversity of parasitic locomotion and experiment with actuators that bring robotic limbs to life.
● Behavior & Programming |
Define robotic behavior through code, developing systems that react and adapt in lifelike ways.
● Environment & Interface |
Study the extreme habitats in which parasites thrive to inspire the design of responsive interfaces for digital and physical interaction.
● Prototyping Our Own Robotic Parasite |
Synthesize all concepts to collaboratively build, program, and animate a bio-inspired robotic organism.
