Watching TRANSFORMERS PRIME, even though I am an adult

About my favorite Autobot: Bumblebee

 

My favorite Transformer is Bumblebee.  It’s an adorable name for a Transformer robot.  I knew about Bumblebee for a while but I didn’t know much about his backstory or personality until watching Transformers Prime on the Hub.  He’s such a robot-y robot.  While the other Autobots can speak verbally, Bumblebee makes buzzing beep sounds.  This has to do with the loss of his voice box in the past.  I was like, awww, poor Bumblebee :’(  So I love him even more because after learning about that and listening to the buzz/beeps he makes for communication, I can tell how he’s feeling; curious, explanatory, angry,  annoyed, saddened.  And the other Autobots (and the humans who stay with them in their headquarters) understand exactly what he is saying, like Kenny from South Park!  His name also matches his color scheme on his armor.

     I’d like to think he is the kid brother of the Autobots.  He is sort of in the middle in terms of size (with leader Optimus Prime being the largest) but his personality makes him seem more kid-like.  As a matter of fact, he may even seem immature and defy authority, especially demonstrated in the two-part episode “Operation Bumblebee.”  The episode titled  “Operation Bumblebee”  features Bumblebee as a major character in that storyline.  If you want to read my summary of the episode, you may read on.

In the first part of the episode, Bumblebee’s T-Cog is stolen, and without the ability to transform into a vehicle, he is in danger of revealing the Autobots, so he is ordered to stay in the HQ.  But he feels useless and wants to make himself useful, even if it means trying to get his T-Cog back himself.  He has a strong spirit—a strong “spark”, as the Transformers call it—that shows his determination to reach his goal, whether it’s personal or for others.

I have not seen the entire series of Transformers Prime yet.  I only have caught a few episodes from season 2 for one week, but my sister immediately fell in love with the show and bought the DVDs of the first two seasons.  We are a little over half done with watching the first season.  I definitely look forward to watching them.

Transformers Prime is not just for kids; the storyline is sophisticated enough that adults can enjoy the show too.  There are interesting character relationships and complex storylines that I don't think children can appreciate as much as they watch it for the action. 

Please check this TV show out!  Season 3 is airing on the Hub now, but the DVDs of seasons 1 and 2 are each around $20 if you'd like to enjoy it anytime and watch it from the beginning.  There is commentary included with some episodes, too!

 

Cybernetic Dreams Update: New Website Picture

I have decided to update the main picture for Cybernetic Dreams.

I think it will bring a new feel to the blog.  I drew this robot as a possible robotic representation of my second computer (thus my title for it is I Am #2), which I've had for one year and three months now.  His power-on light is blue, so that is the color I used for his CPU, eyes and mouth.

 

I used the stipling style of coloring to make him look sort of 3D. I used a black marker for the head and neck, and I used a gray marker for the oulines.  The black and gray background was colored digitally with #2 himself on the setting of crayon.  I don't know how well it will work for some viewers.  I amazed myself though.  To me, he almost comes alive.

It seems unfinished, though.  When I decide to color the picture more, I can make another update. 

I Am #2 by Amethyst Anne
March 7, 2013

A Combat Robot Show on the SyFy Channel

I still need to see the movie Real Steel, but I am kind of excited about this new show.  It's titled, Robot Combat League.

For once, the SyFy network is actually airing a show that focuses on robots.  But it is not just any robot.  No.  It’s going to show combat robots.  Robots made for fighting.

Fighting for the entertainment of humans.

In a way, I kind of don’t like that idea at the same time.  I don’t like to see two robots try to destroy each other.  At least when humans do it in sports like boxing and wrestling, they don’t try to kill each other, and yes there will be injuries.  But do robots know when to quit the damage?  Maybe if they had some sort of “damage gauge” built into their visual sensors, they’d tell when the other one is losing and it’s time to stop fighting.

Mega Man X would not want to see this.

What helps me easily deal with this oil-shed is that the combat robots don’t really have faces.  They may have something on their heads that resemble eyes, or one eye, but that is all.  

I’m going to give this show another chance, but otherwise I’m not sure if I want to waste any more hours watching people waste awesome perfectly-built robots.  They would do best at a science show and be operated to “air-fight” so as to not damage the other robots. Why is the act of physically fighting so entertaining to us humans?  Is it because we don’t like to do it ourselves but it is rather fun to see other people—or robots—do it instead?  Has our violent culture gone too far?

Another Robot Drawing, February 18th 2012

I want to draw more robots.  I have a couple more robot-drawing projects on the way.  Meanwhile, I have a line art piece of a robot—an android really—that I wanted to design for a story I’ve been working on.  While I’m not working on the story currently, I still like to draw ideas for it.  This android is supposed to look more “robot-like” than the other androids in the story because it is an older model.

Drawing by AmethystAnne
February 18, 2012

He looks like he’s smiling but that is because of the way that his mandible is designed.  Maybe I didn’t need to give him a nose.  He even looks to me a bit scary, something that I’d get a nightmare from if I was five years old, but he means no harm.

I should have given him more details on his body, but I guess I can say the drawing is still a work in progress.

On Seeing Tim Burton's “9”

I’m not a big fan of Tim Burton, but as a robot enthusiast, I am happy that I got a chance to catch the movie 9.  I was babysitting my cat, who was recovering from a surgery.  She went to sleep on her bed and I wanted to stay nearby, so I turned on the TV with the remote to find something to keep me awake.  There was nothing good on and a little after 11:30pm I turned to the SyFy channel (it should have stayed Sci-Fi, but whatever).  The movie was on and I looked at the TV grid, and it started at 11:30.  I thought to myself, why not, I only missed the first few minutes.  I’ll go ahead and see if I like it.

               And like it I did.  I noticed that the main character 9 was blinking his eyes and they didn’t look like organic eyes.  They were blinking like pair of robot eyes, if a robot could blink.  I thought to myself, Oh, this is neat!  So these guys are actually little robots with bean-bag bodies and goggles for eyes.  I could have guessed 9 was a puppet of a sort, but do puppets move on their own?

The story is a dark tale about a group of robot puppets that eventually band together to put a stop to an evil machine.  Yes, I said evil machine.  Machines can be evil if they are programmed to learn and do things such as fight in wars or cause destruction.  It is actually the programmer who is evil or greedy, not the machine or computer that is programmed.  Of course, there is always that “glitch” in the programming that would be possible.

So it turned out that these little robot puppets had a human soul put inside them that gave them life. I don’t want to give away how that happens, but why else would they have human-like emotions like compassion, anger, fear, and joy?  Especially compassion.   My heart cries happy tears when I see a robot comfort another robot for their sadness or loss.

Astroboy, Android Kikaider, 9—any Japanese anime, otherwise animated and live action movies that contain robot characters with souls and emotions—they are just so fascinating.   A robot with a soul is such an interesting idea to play with in fiction.

Some of My Thoughts on the Nao Humanoid

I don’t think I’ll be buying one of these little guys.  They are tens of thousands of dollars each on the market.  But I plan to see the Nao Humanoid in action.

I missed my chance.

There was an expo just this past Sunday, the 22^nd, where the Nao was featured at a demonstration.  I think it was in downtown Los Angeles.  I wouldn’t have been able to go, anyway, considering my mobility issues (I don’t drive on my own).  But it gives me an idea on when to take this opportunity next year perhaps.

I’ve been thinking about joining the LA Robotics Club, based in downtown LA, which is a long way from my San Fernando Valley home.  This group DID go to the Nao demonstrations.  I’d feel comfortable joining if I knew it was a club I can physically attend on a regular basis.  I don’t know if these robot/technology conventions allow the general public to come.   I’d have to belong to some association or group of robot enthusiasts such as myself to be allowed to attend such a convention.

Anyway, I’ve seen YouTube videos of the Nao Humanoid.  It is small, cute, speaks and walks and can pick items off from the floor and put them in another location.  I’ve also watched some personal demonstrations on YouTube of a Nao dancing and a few of them performing a synchronized dance number as well.  Suffice it to say, this Nao robot has some amazing capabilities while looking like a toy.  The Nao may be a toy, but not just any toy, nor a toy for kids.

http://youtu.be/eLfEL3GXMZM       (Nao Dances the Tango)

http://youtu.be/z_8A97xuQ8g        (Coffee for Nao)

http://youtu.be/atwSKUdN0H4       (Nao Robot Does Star Wars)

http://youtu.be/vgEFC8Eb6i4         (Nao Robots Dancing together...All the Single Ladies)

http://youtu.be/ZHJf365p_zw         (Nao - Thriller)

Holidays and stuff... On Hiatus

I think I may have been on an unannounced hiatus, so sorry for any disappointment I may have caused for not posting as regularly as I used to.

But I will be back next next year as soon as the end of January  ^__^

So, have a Merry Christmas and a pleasant Hanukkah and a wonderful Kwanzaa!!!!

Early Signs of My Fascination with Robots: Part 1

The Dream

When I was in middle school, I dreamed that I made a friend with a robot in my middle school and spent the day with him, and then when it was time to go, I was sad because I was going to leave him and we already became friends. Could that be it? Could that be the basis for my fascination with robots?

Many years before this dream, I learned what a robot was from an electronic toy computer. This toy mainly taught spelling and math. But I first learned the word “robot” from this toy, and what a robot looked like. I was fascinated with the image; it looked like an alien from outer space but with square and rectangular body parts rather than round body parts. I knew that it wasn’t human. The robot had a square face and two antennae on its head, like a TV set. The antennae moved after it finished doing its dance (bend, stretch and jump).

I knew what a robot was when I was six or seven years old. The toy robot I drew for my second grade journal for school was definitely a robot. A small one, but, resembled a gold-colored robot with propellers on its head, a vertical, rectangular torso and wheels to get around. I forgot if it had a gun, but I drew it in the picture for 2nd grade.

So this dream that I had about the friendly robot at school must be the thing that sparked and strengthened my appreciation for the metal-man after the electronic computer and the robot toy. It is perhaps a deep psychological attachment to the type of thing that I befriended in the dream. In that dream it was possible for the robot to appreciate the company of human friends and be nice to them. In the dream he was nice to me and I admired his height and his strong metallic body, even protective if one could see that. A giant teddy bear, only it was a tall giant cube- bodied robot.