See how a swarm of robots helps an artist paint

The robots in question move across the canvas, leaving behind colored trails. For the first time in art,

created by robots, the artist can chooseareas of the canvas that will be painted a specific color, and a team of robots will do this in real time. This technique demonstrates the potential of robotics in creating art and could be an interesting tool for artists.

Создание искусства может быть слишком трудоемким. It is worth remembering the work of Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel. The world is increasingly dominated by technology and automation, but art remains largely handmade. Nothing wrong with that, but what if robotics could lend a helping hand or even broaden the creative repertoire of artists?

Credit: M. Santos et al.

“The intersection of robotics and art has becomean active area of ​​research where artists and researchers combine creativity and systematic thinking to push the boundaries of different art forms, ”explains Dr. Maria Santos of Georgia Institute of Technology. "However, the artistic possibilities of multi-robot systems remain to be explored."

A new study looks at the potentiala swarm of robots to create a painting. Engineers have developed a system by which the artist can designate different areas of the canvas to be painted in a specific color. Robots interact with each other to complete a task. Also, individual robots traverse the canvas and leave a trail of paint, the color of which they create, mixing shades of different colors available on board.

Credit: M. Santos et al.

In their experiments, the researchers foundthat even when some robots did not have access to all the colors needed to create the assigned color, they could still work together and bring the color close enough. The artist doesn't have to give instructions for each individual robot or even worry about whether they have access to all the colors they need, allowing the artist to focus on creating the painting.

Images obtained in the current studyare abstract and resemble a child's pencil drawing. They showcase unique color areas that blend into each other, revealing the artist's contribution. More accurate images may appear in future versions of the system.

Most importantly, the images confirm thatan artist can successfully teach a swarm of robots to paint a picture. This method may also have potential in other areas where simply controlling the actions of a swarm of robots could be useful. 

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