Pinko robot on the Black Jack show.
The Human Art Theater will perform a theatrical rendition of Osamu Tezuka’s masterpiece, “Black Jack” from February 18th to February 22nd. The popular character Pinoko will be played by a robot created by the Faculty of Science and Engineering’s Takanishi Laboratory.
Pinoko first appears in the 12th chapter of Black Jack, “Teratoid Cystoma.” Pinoko was a rare type of parasitic twin that was constructed from a mass of organs and given the appearance of a human child by the unlicensed but genius surgeon, Black Jack. The arms, legs, and body of the Takanishi Laboratory developed robot are detachable and its eyes are equipped with CCD cameras that project the robots field of vision onto a screen. Equipped with 25 motors, the robot is a complete and charming reproduction of the iconic Black Jack character.
In one scene a projector displays Black Jack’s field of vision while he is working on Pinoko. The projection creates an intense sense of realism which is followed by a performance of the Pinoko robot reacting to her new body and becoming aware of the world around her.
Lecturer Kenji Hashimoto of Takanishi Laboratory comments, “Preparation for combining theater and robotics began last spring and the creation of the robot was linked to a 3rd year undergraduate and 1st year graduate class. We created a robot that can perform, but it is not normal for non-members of the Takanishi Laboratory to operate the robots. I am relieved that everything has gone smoothly.”
“Pinoko” is brought to life with 25 motors
