Machine Cent’red Humanz [Chip Kali, Lahaag, and others] (2005)

It should not be too difficult to build a species of independently flying creatures that communicate among each other, using human energy and presence. Like Hitchcock’s birds suggest: with their own systems of collective and collaborative intelligence driving on humans mobility as a source and interface (mxHz.org, 2003)

Thoughts go by air was a slowly evolving project within the domain of art and technology. The first generation (2003) existed of a bunch of balloons strapped together by wires and reacting on human or its own movements.

For the second generation (2004), mxHz.org developed its own electronics with a sonar, motor control and communication protocols. This allowed the artbots to sense the environment and communicate with each other either in the same room or over the internet to another location. Connections between Brussels, Berlin, and New York were succesfully established.

For the current third generation (2005), mxHz.org is tried getting one step further in establishing an autonomously flying flock with several identities and behaviors. The artbots formed a connected but distributed swarm with sensors, motors and balloons. They reacted in a complex way to environmental conditions and changes, and add their unique sound to the chaotic world we humans have made, but always try to reduce to simplicity …

Of course due to the lack of wings on human bodies (Chip Kali) …

Machines that deal with people rather than people that deal with machines!” (Lahaag)