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Artificial Killing Machine, 2015

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Strike Database

Since 1999, The Bureau of Investigative Journalism has aggregated data on the impact of the United States covert drone war across the globe. This database has been made accessible by data artist Josh Begley through a publicly accessible API called Dronestre.am .

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This information, the human data, is the fuel of the machine.

ThumbnailsPrevious / Next image (1 of 7)

Selected images of strike events.To cycle through, use the navigation.

How it works

The installation consists of five major components.

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Control Electronics (Brains) + Printer + Motors + Toy Cap Guns + Batteries

Construction

Fifteen die-cast toy cap guns were disassembled, primed and painted. The mold dates to a product created in 1950s from now-defunct company, Leslie-Henry. These were acquired from the current and last surviving American manufacturer of cap guns.

Servo motors are attached to each gun using laser cut acrylic mounts and custom mounting hardware. The motors are driven and powered by a motor controller. A Raspberry Pi handlesthe task of searching the database and activating the motor control electronics.

Three lithium ion batteries and step down converters deliver three independent, regulated outputs for each of the three main electrical components (printer, Pi, and motors).

The servo wiring harness has been sleeved and laced using traditional cable lacing methods dating back to the 1900s (still used by NASA and the telecom industry today). are contained in a vintage aircraft avionics housing.

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Programming

The control program was written in Python and interfaces with an open-source API to access the public database on U.S. drone strikes. The application queries this Internet database every five minutes and when a entry been detected in the database, the motor control functions activate.

Viewing:

The installation is available for public display (on appointment) in Los Angeles, CA through July 9th, 2015.Contact mail@polygonfuture.com for more information.

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Further Reading

More in-depth information, analysis, and records of the U.S. Drone strikes can be found in the links below.

Bureau of Investigative Journalism: Covert Drone WarData analysis from 1999-Present. Includes narratives, corroborated accounts, and news of drone strikes across the globe.

LivingUnderDrones.orgThe psychological, socio-economic, and unseen effects of drone strikes / Stanford Law University and NYU

The Guardian: Military DronesThe Guardian's entire coverage of the U.S. drone program.

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41 Targeted, 1,147 Killed.The Guardian, UK.