Marionnettes Électriques
The project
The Marionnettes électriques project was created by Thomas Peyruse and awarded the Toulous'up label by the city of Toulouse. The goal of this project is to question and use the latest innovations in robotics through artistic creations. This research has the ultimate aim to create for the end of 2018 a prototype robot taking into account several current ethical issues such as ecology, data privacy and security.
Thomas Peyruse
Thomas Peyruse is working on a dual career of artist and research engineer.
Automatic engineer from the École Centrale de Nantes in 2006, he was then a consultant at Altran Sud-Ouest in Toulouse, working on satellite control and the manual control of Airbus airliners for more than 8 years.
In parallel to its practice of engineering, he started in 2008 training to work as an actor in the Grenier Théâtre and Toulouse National Theatre. He continued his training with clown acting with the Bestiaire à Pampilles, and feeds his love of the scene by participating in various projects since then.
Behind all these activities, Thomas primarily performs a research on complex systems endowed with autonomy (both biological and synthetic) Thomas performs, including their feasibility and the ethical issues they generate. This process involves the design of several robots with limited resources, and participation in the association Caliban.
In November 2014, he decided to devote himself full time to the staging of robots and late January 2015, he led the “School of Moon” show under the direction of choreographer Eric Minh Cuong Castaing.
The scene as innovation catalyst
The scene is above all one of the most hostile environments for a robot: the abundance of lights, the use of batteries, the wireless link, the mechanical failure, electronics, connectors… All areas which makes an industrial product interesting or not are approached in the most pragmatic way possible. A creative effort is needed at any time, and the world of Maker is here all suitable.
The scene is a representative place where the robot does not obey specificiations but an artistic rendering. It forces to create from nothing through experimentation and improvisation to get to provoke a reaction from the public, and puppets shine in this exercise.
Finally, art also allows one to take a step back from technologies, occupying more and more space in our daily life, and distorting our mind and our body. This ethical work is often hampered when working on a specification. Conveying these questions to the public by making representations or organizing workshops is also a kind of public utility.
With the creation of trans-humanist groups, automation of work and science fiction movies, a teaching and questioning effort is important regarding the public and citizens. Projects involving Marionnettes électriques contribute to it, but working closer to the public through workshops or animation stands remains important.
Services
Thomas' work takes the form of expertise in robotics and digital technologies, entertainment events around robotics, as well as conferences.
Upcoming events
- 22 and June 23, 2016 at the Robotics and Education symposium, Inria Research center Bordeaux - Sud-Ouest.
- From 8 to 11 August 2016 from 3PM to 6PM: robots manipulation workshop at the Astronomy Festival of Fleurance.