Fusing Science and Art

“What if Leonardo da Vinci was alive today and wanted to combine his love of machinery with his passion for art? What might that look like?”

As
true
collaborative
partners,
Dulcinea
and
Paul
Kirby
fuse
art
with
science
in
harmony,
to
create
one-of-a-kind
paintings.
Layer
upon
layer
of
brushtrokes
make
up
a
painting,
but
what
appears
on
the
canvas
represents
hundreds
of
thousands
of
custom
lines
of
code
and
unbound
creative
passion
that
demonstrates
the
power
of
fusioneering.

“Is a painting painted by a robot really art? On the other hand, is that question even of concern when immersed in the beauty and enjoyment of the creative fusioneering process?”

— Paul Kirby

Meet Dulcinea

Paul
Kirby
set
out
to
build
a
machine
capable
of
creating
classically
elegant
paint
brushtrokes.
Dulcinea
captures
the
best
of
human
art
and
machine-powered
capabilities.
With
a
fully
flexible
hand
that
mimics
the
movements
of
a
human
wrist,


Dulcinea
can
do
anything
your
hand
can
do
and
more.
Over
the
years,
Dulcinea’s
brushstrokes
have
only
become
more
and
more
elaborate
and
evolved,
allowing
her
and
Paul
to
push
the
limits
of
the
imagination.

How Does Dulcinea Work?

Standing
about
10
feet
tall
and
10
feet
wide,
Dulcinea
is
fully
automated
and
is
powered
by
7
motors
and
runs
several
programs
concurrently.
“Artificial
intelligence”
doesn’t
begin
to
cover
it
Dulcinea’s
complex
and
layered
programming
includes
several
forms
of
AI
and
adaptive
systems
to
bring
original
artwork
to
life.

Make elegant brushstrokes with different sizes and shapes

Change paint colors

Wash brushes between colors

Store and manage dozens of paint colors

Use large canvases as big as 8' by 24'

Create paintings unattended, often overnight

Sign her own signature on each painting

Power herself down upon completion

“After a certain high level of technical skill is achieved, science and art tend to coalesce in aesthetics, plasticity, and form. The greatest scientists are always artists as well.”

— Albert Einstein

Step Into the Studio to Experience Dulcinea’s Creations

At
Paul
Kirby’s
Virtual
Art
Gallery
and
Robotics
Studio,
you
can
immerse
yourself
in
the
fusioneering
of
art
and
science.

Process

Creating Dulcinea.
The Early Stages.

Automating the painting robot’s wrist

Learn
about
Dulcinea’s
ability
to
mimic
the
motions
of
a
human
wrist
to
create
magnificent
brushstrokes

Automating x, y, z

See
Dulcinea
in
motion
along
X,
Y,
and
Z
axes

Dulcinea’s control computer

Watch
Dulcinea’s
control
computer
in
action,
from
brush
washing
to
paint
storing

Who washes the brush?

See
how
Dulcinea’s
brush
washer
makes
her
completely
self-sufficient

The Journey to Build a Painting Robot

Find
out
how
Paul’s
vision
for
Dulcinea
came
to
be