Utilizing robotics in creative work with paint, photography, tools and much more.

Projects and case studies show which potential uses of robotics are possible for designers, artists, researchers, etc.

Detailed documentation of projects can be used as a manual for the readers own work.



Robotic arms are rapidly becoming part of the daily goings-on at art and design studios, but due to a lack of reference materials, there are still difficulties in accessing the workflows and methods for these machines. A Third Hand presents applied case studies and defines a range of exemplary working methods that can both inform and inspire future users. The book offers an introduction to working with robotic arms and is aimed at designers and artists in the broadest sense.



It is the result of the research project A Third Hand - Creative Applications for Robotics, which was conducted at ÉCAL.

Of the six projects, each presenting a specific approach and working method, five were developed in collaboration with professional designers and artists and one with students of design. In Jussi Ängesleväs project, the robotic arm is used to precisely carve a block of ice to slowly reveal a projected image as light passes through. In the project by Varvara & Mar, the robotic arm is holding a mirror and moves to stay in front of the person interacting with it a real-time interaction where viewers also discover other faces depicted on the mirror. Design duo Pinaffo & Pluvinage experimented with spraying techniques on simple objects such as furniture using a series of shifting movements to achieve a projection of color on multiple sides at once. The Swiss photographer Taiyo Onorato continued his research on light painting, this time making use of the robotic arms movement possibilities. Niklas Hagemann used his design engineering skills to develop an open-source arm for affordable, simplified, and customizable applications.