John Espey

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Biomimetic Insectoid Mechatronics, Combining Open Source Technology with Entomology, an Art and Science Presentation at the University of Puget Sound

A white butterfly based on a Monarch without any coloration or texture. I will use this as a sample of the work and its components.

I am very excited to announce that I will be visiting my alma mater and presenting about my current work. The University of Puget Sound regularly hosts an Art and Science Salon where the disparate disciplines can share their contributions and hopefully form new and interesting bonds.

Screen shot from my short film Symphony of Man about a new medical procedure that could change the face of humanity forever.

Back in 2008 I graduated from Puget Sound with a bachelors in Biology and a minor in Theater Arts. Since then, I switched gears to video, learning all of the intricacies of professional productions. I wanted to explore fantasy technology and futuristic worlds and my early goal was to direct science fiction films. One day, a friend asked me, “why don’t you just build them in real life?”

An oscillator circuit driving a speaker voice coil which flaps wings.

Starting in 2010, I began combining art and science to construct these sci-fi-esque technologies. I exhibited work in a solo art show called Organic Electrics. That show took place at the Merchants of Reality gallery in San Francisco and featured light and sound installations paying homage to chemistry and physics. I caught the bug of independent research and self expression, and set out on a journey to construct biomimetic robots. Now, almost 10 years later, I am still on this journey, but I have learned many crafts, mechatronics, digital design, and project management.

I will be presenting at The University of Puget Sound on December 5th 2019 for the Art + Science Salon in Kittredge Gallery. I plan to discuss my work with open source digital design and my research in entomology. Topics I will cover include electrical engineering, insect physiology, 3D modeling, sculpture, and biomimicry.

Here is the Art + Science Salon website: https://www.pugetsound.edu/news-and-events/arts-at-puget-sound/artsci/

Also, later in the week, I will be hosting a workshop on using Blender, a free open source 3D modeling software, to study and design models of insects. We will explore techniques for reproducing anatomically accurate models and realistic physiology. You can join us on December 7th. Check out the link above for more details.