Popular Mechanics
Complimenting the Mutoid Waste Project’s fantastical sculptures this year are some pretty amazing robots. There was a shark in the river and a giant dog running on a motorcycle engine wandering the Oasis food area. And just as you passed by the Palace of Wonder area, a jerky torso of steel and chrome hissed and waved you in. All are the work of Frank Barnes and Kolja Kugler, a German duo who go by the name Robocross.
In the wee hours of Sunday morning, Barnes told me a little about their work. “It started in 1995 when we were throwing parties in Berlin,” he explains, “then we started building robots for the parties, and now we’re doing robots full-time.”
In fact, they’ll be back next year, he says, will a robot that plays the drums. “I just look for MIDI files of song I like and then program them in,” he says. And what does this robot play? “Black Sabbath, The Ramones, lots of songs, says Barnes, smiling.
Check out their site: www.robocross.de
Reported by Jason Jenkins (2008.07.30 / 22:15)