If you see lights moving around inside London's Tate Britain late at night this summer, don't be alarmed -- it's just a wandering robot. From August 13, visitors will be able to browse the gallery's 500-year-old collection online using remotely controlled UAVs (unmanned art-viewing vehicles). "People around the world will be able to go online, take control of a robot and explore the gallery," explains designer David Di Duca, 30. Created by London studio The Workers -- consisting of Di Duca and cofounders Ross Cairns and Tommaso Lanza -- the After Dark project is "about seeing the artworks in a different light -- literally,"says Cairns, 32.
Visitors will have five minutes at the controls; a feed from each robot's webcam will be simultaneously broadcast online.
According to Lanza, the aim isn't to replace the experience of visiting a gallery but to bring art to a wider audience. "It's going somewhere you're not normally allowed to go, on the other side of the world. It's voyeuristic."