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andyRobot

Robotics Designer / RoboScreen Inventor / Computer Animator

 

Expertise: #robots #robotics #cgi #design #art #robot #automation #motioncontrol

Training: BA degree in Film Animation from Columbia College Chicago , IRC Operation at ABB's Robotic training school, KR CR Controller software at KUKA College

Email: andy@andyrobot.com

Profile

andyRobot aka Andrew Flessas started his career as a computer animator.  He invented the RoboScreen and Robot Animator, the innovative software that makes it possible to “animate” a physical robot and generate a program that instructs the real robot to move in exactly the same way. As an expert computer animator, andyRobot envisioned the ability to leverage the creative tools of 3D animation to create life like motion for industrial robots. 

 

andyRobot has been described as a robot whisperer who knows how to apply custom robotic animation to large scale entertainment events and applications. Working for over a decade, his RoboScreens have traveled the world, helping international musicians enhance the entertainment factor in their shows. He has provided his RoboScreens and custom robot choreography to the likes of Bon Jovi, Drake, Lady Gaga, and the Japanese pop band Kis-My-Ft2. Robot Animator was used by Royal Caribbean International to create the first robotic entertainment on a deep ocean vessel for its smart ship Quantum of the Seas.

 

Projects

2024

 

andyRobot designed advanced robotic live entertainment hardware and software systems for International Pop Star DRAKE and his 2024 "Big as the What?" concert tour.

 

andyRobot delivers advanced robotics designs for Royal Caribbean's newest Deep Ocean Cruiser "ICON of the Seas", the sixth ship in the fleet featuring andyRobot technologies.

2023

 

andyRobot designed advanced robotic live entertainment hardware and software systems for International Pop Star DRAKE and his 2023 "It's All A Blur" concert tour.


andyRobot designed a robotic nightclub in Soho NYC for Hennessy in April 2023.

andyRobot receives a nomination from the Visual Effects Society for the prestigious 21st Annual VES Awards, recognizing outstanding visual effects artistry and innovation for robotics with Dwayne Johnson in the motion picture "BLACK ADAM". 

2022

andyRobot awarded U.S. Patent No. 11,520,373 issued on December 6, 2022, and entitled “Robotically controlled, convertible staircase.

​andyRobot was commissioned to design robotic systems for renown Fine Artist Rirkrit Tiravanija featured at Gladstone Gallery in Seoul, South Korea in September 2022.

andyRobot awarded U.S. Patent No. 11,425,308 issued on August 23, 2022, and entitled “Robotically movable display synchronously movable with robotically movable camera for displaying captured images in identical orientation.

andyRobot awarded U.S. Patent No. 11,345,017 issued on May 31, 2022, and entitled “Method and system for moving cable-mounted objects using robotic mounts.”

andyRobot awarded U.S. Patent No. 11,350,064 issued on May 31, 2022, and entitled “Method and system for moving cameras using robotic mounts.”

April 2022 the International Pop Star STROMAE utilizes andyRobot patented robotic technologies on his global Multitude Tour, with shows at Coachella 2022, Madison Square Garden, Coca-Cola Coliseum, Bell Centre, and many other venues.   The show features ten RoboScreens, powered by massive, KUKA Robotics systems.

andyRobot awarded U.S. Patent No. 11,284,048 issued on March 22, 2022, and entitled “Robotically Controlled Display”.

 

January 2022 andyRobot begins work on Royal Caribbean's newest Deep Ocean Cruiser "ICON of the Seas".  

 

2021

September 2021 Royal Caribbean launches the newest Ultra Quantum Class Deep Ocean Cruiser "Odyssey of the Seas".  It is the fifth ship in the Royal Caribbean fleet featuring andyRobot patented RoboScreens. 

In August 2021 andyRobot created advanced Ai driven robotics systems for the Warner Brothers motion picture

"Shazam! Fury of the Gods".  

 

HBO featured andyRobot robotic systems on television show "Search Party" shot June 2021.


In March 2021 andyRobot created advanced Ai driven robotics systems for the DC Comics motion picture "Black Adam".

andyRobot created a Robotic Host Character for "Tooned In", an American game show that premiered on Nickelodeon on February 8, 2021.  

2020

 

Odyssey of the Seas , the 5th Quantum class ship by Royal Caribbean International launches in the fall of 2021 and includes the RoboScreen powered entertainment experience in the Two70 room.

U.S. Patent No. 10,684,643 issued on June 16, 2020, and entitled "Robotically Controlled Convertible Display"

U.S. Patent No. 10,764,544 issued on September 1, 2020, and entitled "Robotically Controlled Entertainment Elements"

2019

U.S. Patent No. 10,257,479 issued on April 9, 2019, and entitled “Robotically Controlled Entertainment Elements”;

Spectrum of the Seas, the 4th Quantum class ship by Royal Caribbean International launches on 11 April 2019 and includes the RoboScreen powered entertainment experience in the Two70 room.

2047Apologue (Season 3 of 3), the concept performance combining technology and Chinese folk art to explore our futures with technology. For a performance called Robot Girl Love, a custom harness was developed so a dancer could be connected directly to a large 6 axis robot.

 

In 2019 APPLE featured andyRobot robotic systems in its "Introducing iPhone 11 Pro" launch commercial.

For the annual Automate2019 convention KUKA reached out to andyRobot for some good clean robot entertainment. He took three smaller KR10's and programmed them to play acoustic instruments backed by two large KR210 RoboScreens playing KUKA marketing videos on spinning flying monitors.

MTV used andyRobot patented RoboScreen robotic video displays on its MTV Video Music Awards as documented in this article by Live Design Online, Robots Bring the 2019 MTV VMAs Stage to (Artificial) Life

A roboScreen show was created at SCS Science Centre Singapore for a permanent exhibition called Future Makers. The andyRobot team traveled to Singapore to set up the robot logic programming and motion.

In 2019 andyRobot collaborated with Bloomingdale's in New York City to create holiday themed window displays featuring robots placing ornaments on holiday trees, a robot band, and an interactive karaoke attraction.

 

2018

How big? Big! Our next gen robotic creature with a RoboScreen face on the @dailyplanetshow at  the SXSW festival in Austin Texas.

Interview with our Director the legendary Zhang Yimou regarding the new conceptual theater show “Apologue 2047: Season 2”.  andyRobot collaborated with ABB Robotics and Zhang Yimou to create a robotic band for the performance.

andyRobot provided robots and consulting in April of 2018 for SABIC's Inauguration Ceremony for the Final

 

2017

On October 17, 2017, U.S. Patent No. 9,794,533 entitled, “Robotically Controlled Entertainment Elements," was issued to andyRobot.

On November 21, 2017, U.S. Patent No. 9,823,693 entitled, “Robotically Controlled Convertible Display,” was issued to andyRobot.

In October of 2017 andyRobot published a video demonstrating his Robotic Projection System based on a KUKA KR10 robot arm with video projector and motion programming created with Robot Animator.

In 2017 VERIZON featured andyRobot robotic systems in its television commercial regarding remote robotic surgery using their new 5G networks. Putting Better Outcomes at Doctors' Fingertips                                 

For Full Sail University's 2017 Hall of Fame event an army of 6 ABB IRB120 robots with 32" Samsung monitors attached were assembled for a RoboScreen performance. 

In May of 2017 the company PTC had their annual convention called Liveworx which needed a thrilling opening to the convention and speaker series. For this performance Ovation Events organized the collaboration of andyRobot with Laserman to perform a one off spectacle. We mounted mirrors and lasers onto the front of 8 ABB IRB120 robots, synchronized them to timecode, and let them rip.

andyRobot collaborated with Zhang Yimou for 2047Apologue (Season 1 of 3), the concept performance combining technology and Chinese folk art to explore our futures with technology, debuted at the Beijing National Centre for the Performing Arts. 

RobotNation is where the future grows.  In 2017 andyRobot established a high end robotic studio in the rural hills of Tennessee. Dubbed RobotNation, this futuristic outpost combines advanced robotic experimentation and development with family living and raising chickens in a pristine rural country valley.

6 large form ABB based Roboscreens were bought by Royal Caribbean and moved to Brooklyn on a huge portable gantry to perform the crowd favorite called Battle at their event #SeaBeyond in 2017. Invented from the dreams of andyRobot, and executed by the engineers at ABB for installation on the future Quantum class of RC ships.

 

2016

On November 15, 2016, U.S. Patent No. 9,497,431 entitled, “Robotically Controlled Video Projectors," was issued to andyRobot.

When andyRobot created a robotic piano system for Lady Gaga for her Grammy performance in 2016 he collaborated with his colleagues from NASA to solve an engineering challenge to get the robot pianos to not tear the piano to shreds.

 

In March of 2016, NIKE commissioned andyRobot to create advanced robotics entertainment systems in NYC for the NIKE Innovation Summit where over 350 global sports and fashion reporters came to New York for a top secret reveal of new innovations.  

 

Ovation of the Seas, the third of six planned Quantum class SmartShips went in service on April 8, 2016 with the RoboScreen powered Two70 entertainment room debuting to rave reviews.

2015

In 2015 NASA JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory) licensed Robot Animator software for use on its Asteroid Redirect Mission.  This mission used robot arms to hold a large boulder next to an asteroid to deflect it's orbit to prevent a collision with Earth. A NASA scientist explains how andyRobot's technology is used to support the mission.

 

andyRobot developed the Two70 Room RoboScreen installation on the "Anthem of the Seas" for Royal Caribbean International's second Quantum class SmartShip which launched on April 20, 2015.

He worked with artist and musician Nigel Stanford on the creation of Automatica – a project that enlists several industrial robots to form a giant mechanical orchestra, with amazing and destructive results. He also delivered a lecture on Advanced Robotic Systems at the Macau Polytechnic Institute on Nov 18, 2015.

2014

On November 25, 2014, U.S. Patent No. 8,896,242 issued on November 25, 2014, and entitled “Robotically Controlled Entertainment Elements," was issued to andyRobot.

October 13, 2014 saw the launch of the first large format entertainment robotics system on a deep ocean vessel with the maiden voyage of "Quantum of the Seas" for Royal Caribbean International. The one of a kind Two70 Room design transforms from a living room space to an entertainment space with a retractable gantry lowering 6 RoboScreens for use in the live entertainment performances.

 

By 2014, WIRED magazine had dubbed andyRobot as "The Robot Whisperer" and published an in depth article about his projects for WIRED UK.

2013

On January 22, 2013, U.S. Patent No. 8,356,704 entitled, “Robotically Controlled Entertainment Elements," was issued to andyRobot.

In 2013 andyRobot and Bill Buxton, two pioneers in the field of computing and technology, spoke to CLOSER about their work, innovation and why they keep returning to Macau.

2012

On December 18, 2012, Korean Patent No. 10-1215461 entitled, “The Robot Control Display," was issued to andyRobot.

RoboScreen stage designed for Bon Jovi with ABB and TAIT TOWERS and was featured on the software box of Autodesk® Autocad® 2012.

2011

ABB Robotics signed Andy Flessas (aka Andy Robot) and his company, Robotic Arts, to provide lead creative direction for the development of innovative robotic systems for the entertainment and commercial retail industries. Article on A

2010

Launched in Seattle WA on Feb. 19, 2010, 5 ABB IRB 7600 robots take the stage with Bon Jovi for band’s historic Circle Tour. The robots will accompany the nearly two-year long tour, which currently features approximately 60 concerts in North America and Europe.

2009

He was awarded his first of fifteen US and international patents in 2009. andyRobot is the owner and inventor of  a patent portfolio for Robotic Entertainment Elements, primarily robot controlled RoboScreens, staircases, video projectors, and other entertainment elements.

andyRobot with ABB Robotics and TAIT TOWERS, develop the first massive scale, RoboScreen powered global rock tour for Bon Jovi's Circle Tour.

On June 9, 2009, U.S. Patent No. 7,545,108 entitled, “Robotically Controlled Display," was issued to andyRobot.

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