J Keith Ross - Scottish Artist Animator Web designer

 

 

 

 

 

 

ROBOTIX 97


Homage to Fritz Langs Metropolis

INTELLIGENT MACHINE:
[ Technical specs ]

The animation lasts 60 seconds and was produced in six weeks using 3D Studio Max and Deluxe paint. Each second required 25 frames to be rendered (1500 frames in total). Each frame took approx 5 minutes to render on a P166 with 32 megs of ram. That's a total of 125 hours to render the total animation. The animation was then output to hi-8 tape at 768x576.

Robotix is an exhibition of the latest developments in robot design and artificial intelligence. It is held every year in Glasgow, Scotland.

All the animations were produced as part of a project for the animation evening class at Glasgow Central College of Commerce.

Below are a selection of frames from Intelligent Machine. An animation I created for Robotix 97. Produced using 3d Studio Max.

Click on the images to see them in detail.

This 60 second animation was designed as a cautionary tale. The first sequence shows an ant feeding its grubs electronic scraps; a diet that is to have profound consequences on their development. Meanwhile a Tomahawk cruise missile flys overhead.

The cruise missile enters the city. Tracer fire tries to shoot it down.

 

 
 

The ant rises up on its legs as a huge fireball engulfs the city.

 
 

Human civilisation in ruins. The ants have evolved into robotic versions of their ancestors.

 
  The ants build huge towers as a platform to launch their grub cocoons into the depths of space. Supplanting mankind's dream of colonising other planets. The final sequence is a tracking shot from orbit showing the cocoons leaving earths atmosphere and heading into space...fade to black.
 

 

Download Spider chip flic file (297k)

[ for more on Robotix 97 Click here ]

 

All images copyright Keith Ross 1999.