Catie Cuan's robot choreography

Her dance partner is 9 feet tall and weighs nearly two-tons: an ABB IRB 6700 robot typically used for the "three Ds" of industrial labor -- tasks that are dull, dirty and dangerous. The robot's movements have been programmed then visualized, which Cuan riffs off. The topic of the piece she is assembling -- called "OUTPUT" -- is where one derives aesthetic value from; how artistic inspiration can strike from a cold, imposing robotic arm. It also points to an urgent question in technology's development: why machine movement matters. As we see increasingly coexist with robots -- in nursing homes and operating rooms -- we also need to figure out how to interact with them.