The Sculpture of Christopher Conte

October 6, 2007 12:39 AM

Lethal Injection Attack Droid Prototype

Portfolio

After earning a Bachelors Degree in Fine Art (BFA) from Pratt Institute, [Conte] entered the prosthetics field and began making artificial limbs for amputees in New York. Along with a combined love for sculpture, medical-science, and biomechanics, the field enabled Chris to apply his natural talents to help others in less fortunate situations, which he still does to this day

Creating sculpture, purely for the sake of being sculpture, however, never escaped as his deepest passion.

Robot sculpture has been a popular topic at MeFi.

posted by carsonb (34 comments total)

Haven't I seen that thing on Red Dwarf?
posted by kisch mokusch at 12:51 AM on October 6, 2007

Meccano Gone Wild.
posted by salishsea at 12:54 AM on October 6, 2007

I always wanted a robot that'll bring me a shot of dope on command.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 1:00 AM on October 6, 2007 [2 favorites]

I'm sure it's supposed to look scary... But, it gave me other ideas... My daughter (now in her late teens) has been an insulin-dependent diabetic since she was 4 years old. If someone could have created a cute, cuddly robotic stuffed animal to roll up and inject her insulin, she would have been delighted.
posted by amyms at 1:01 AM on October 6, 2007 [1 favorite]

It's an interesting idea, amyms, but I'm getting images of Teddy Ruxpin clutching an hypodermic deep down in the uncanny valley.
posted by carsonb at 1:10 AM on October 6, 2007

lol carsonb... Yeah, we probably avoided years of therapy by giving her the injections ourselves.
posted by amyms at 1:19 AM on October 6, 2007

mmm...Teddy Feelgood.
posted by sexyrobot at 1:47 AM on October 6, 2007 [3 favorites]

Oh great, a whole new line of toys ... plus the inevitable cartoon series: Mighty Morphine Power Rangers
posted by rob511 at 1:53 AM on October 6, 2007 [2 favorites]

The Lethal Injection Attack Droid Funding Bill is passed. The system goes on-line October 6, 2007. Human decisions are removed from strategic defense. Lethal Injection Attack Droid Prototype begins to learn at a geometric rate. It becomes self-aware at 2:14 a.m. Pacific time, August 29th. In a panic, they try to pull the plug.

Lethal Injection Attack Droid Prototype fights back.

Yes. It launches its missiles against the targets in Russia.

Why attack Russia? Aren't they our friends now?

All it had were toy missiles.
posted by carsonb at 2:00 AM on October 6, 2007

Pricks.

...ow. Hey!

*thud*
posted by ZachsMind at 2:21 AM on October 6, 2007 [1 favorite]

Haven't I seen that thing on Red Dwarf?

Nah, I think this one is Bob's cousin Alice.
posted by NeonSurge at 3:02 AM on October 6, 2007

And now, your highness, we will discuss the location of your hidden rebel base...
posted by furiousxgeorge at 3:12 AM on October 6, 2007

What is so horrifically, monstrously wrong with me that robots always make me think of Paulie being served a drink in Rocky IV? I don't want to feel this way. I want help. I want to get better. I must kill Paulie. Must. Kill. Paulie.
posted by stavrogin at 3:17 AM on October 6, 2007 [1 favorite]

Oh great, a whole new line of toys ... plus the inevitable cartoon series: Mighty Morphine Power Rangers

They'd better be pretty damn accurate when it comes to measuring dose though.

"Goddamit, Fix-o, how many times do I have to tell you? Use LESS cocaine in the goddam speedballs.... You're holding out on me, aren't you? The reason you put so much coke in is because you're stealing the good shit from me. Don't try and tell me that I've used an eighth of an ounce of best Thai heroin in the last two days -- number 4 quality, because I just don't believe it. This is exactly why I cut all of those other people out of my life. They were all stealing from me, but you, you I thought I could trust."

Goes out to the tool shed and returns with screwdriver and pliers.

"OK, either you give up the dope, or I'm gonna come in there and find it for myself..."

Slowly, noisily, the robot gradually coughs up a small pile of heroin.

"Cocksucker. Just for that, tonight Susie Livegirl stays in the closet and you're gonna be wearing the strap-on and the fleshlight. "
posted by PeterMcDermott at 3:38 AM on October 6, 2007 [3 favorites]

Mechanical death. Which hummmm is the end? Hmm?
posted by Mblue at 4:14 AM on October 6, 2007

insulin teddy bears aside, these sculptures are really good.

thanks!

see also Pierre Matter
posted by Dillonlikescookies at 4:18 AM on October 6, 2007

Haven't I seen that thing on Red Dwarf?

No, not on Red Dwarf, but I'm pretty sure Craig Charles has one for his own personal use.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 4:18 AM on October 6, 2007

"A hunter-seeker! It can't get me if I don't move... It's too dark in here for it to see clearly."
posted by mr. strange at 4:25 AM on October 6, 2007 [1 favorite]

Cool. Actually looks like the kind of pet a Terminator would have around.

"Fetch, Needlo!"
posted by Iosephus at 4:59 AM on October 6, 2007 [1 favorite]

For real fear--it's the robot barber.

I'm surprised this hasn't shown up in Japan yet.

(Google 'robot barber' for a shaggy-dog joke you can easily customize.)
posted by hexatron at 5:03 AM on October 6, 2007

See also: Runaway (1984).

Aaah, what's old is new again.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 7:14 AM on October 6, 2007

Finally, a nemesis is born ... non-Survival Research Labs.

Although I won't be happy until it emits flame, brings a gaggle of state regulators, and lops the fingers off of its owner.
posted by adipocere at 7:41 AM on October 6, 2007

For more proof, here's a screencap of Gene Simmons' death scene at the hands of his acid-injecting spider-bots in the movie Runaway.

Yes, that Gene Simmons.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 7:53 AM on October 6, 2007

furiousxgeorge that's exactly what I was thinking of.
posted by CitrusFreak12 at 8:47 AM on October 6, 2007

Yes, some of the Runaway robots, over 20 years ago, all had giant needles too. Lots of them got the bad guy in the end with them, as I recall.
posted by eye of newt at 8:59 AM on October 6, 2007

If someone could have created a cute, cuddly robotic stuffed animal to roll up and inject her insulin, she would have been delighted.

I for one have also lamented the lack in our media culture of a kid-friendly spokes-icon for proper syringe use.

Even better, would be a cartoon show that made it easier for kids to want to take their vitamins. I'm thinking a group of friendly, cuddly stuffed animals that sing and dance and teach small children about how fun and great it is to open up their pill bottles and dose themselves. These ideas are brilliant and I see absolutely no drawbacks to them whatsoever.
posted by XQUZYPHYR at 9:28 AM on October 6, 2007

I'm surprised this hasn't shown up in Japan yet.

Well clearly it doesn't float.
posted by XQUZYPHYR at 9:29 AM on October 6, 2007

Just like Fahrenheit 451!
posted by OverlappingElvis at 10:34 AM on October 6, 2007

Uhhhh....guys......lets not give the Pentagon any ideas, k?
posted by Avenger at 11:06 AM on October 6, 2007

At first I was going to use this as a pulpit to preach, yet another, sermon about how we are looking at yet another step in the increasingly short path to being subjugated by robots, when I realized that there is no way this thing could climb stairs.

So instead I say; Eat it, robotic-killing-machine! I've got a porch.
posted by quin at 11:45 AM on October 6, 2007

WANT!
posted by Wonderwoman at 2:54 PM on October 6, 2007

Like furiousxgeorge this immediately made me think of the torture droid from Star Wars. Until Christopher Conte can make his Lethal Injection Attack Droid hover through the air like Geroge Lucas' then I'm not buying what he's selling.
posted by electricinca at 3:41 PM on October 6, 2007

It made a single last leap into the air, coming down at Montag from a good three feet over his head, its spidered legs reaching, the procaine needle snapping out its single angry tooth.
posted by eritain at 7:39 PM on October 6, 2007

Yeah, it was Red Dwarf. Confidence and Paranoia. When Rimmer tries to use a scutter to give Paranoia a lethal injection. Can't find any pictures of the particular scene though :-(
posted by kisch mokusch at 12:46 AM on October 7, 2007