Documentation The Machine - Celestin Albers

Documentation and Reflection
Celestin Albers
Contents
Introduction............................. 2
The Position Paper....................... 3
Methodologies: Prototyping............... 5
Methodologies: Recycling................. 6
Dutch People Invented The Greatest
Technology Ever.......................... 7
Pizza.................................... 9
The Research Trip....................... 10
Prototyping Interactivity............... 12
Data Collection......................... 14
Parts list for The Machine.............. 15
The Location............................ 18
Project Planning, Management and
Collaborations.......................... 20
Expenses and Revenues................... 22
The Future For The Machine.............. 26
Entrepreneurial Prospects............... 27
Artistic Portfolio...................... 28
1

Introduction
In this document, I will provide an in-depth
explanation of my graduation year, detailing the
significant milestones and achievements that
have shaped this pivotal period in my academic
journey. This comprehensive account will cover
the creation and development of my position
paper (bachelor thesis). I will delve into the
process of selecting a topic, conducting
research, and compiling my findings into an
interdisciplinary project.
Additionally, I will discuss the various steps I
have undertaken, highlighting the challenges
faced, the innovative solutions implemented, and
the overall impact of this project on my
personal and professional growth. This
documentation will also encompass the extensive
research conducted around these projects,
showcasing the methodologies employed, the data
gathered, and the analyses performed to draw
meaningful conclusions.
Furthermore, I will reflect on the valuable
connections and networks I have established over
the past year. This includes collaborations with
peers, interactions with mentors and engagements
with industry professionals. These relationships
have not only enriched my academic experience
but have also provided me with insights and
opportunities that have been instrumental in my
artistic development.
2

The Position Paper
When writing my position paper, I focused on the
influence and strategies of big tech companies.
My paper delves into the evolving relationship
between humans and technology, highlighting a
significant shift. Initially, technology served
as a tool at our disposal; however, it is
increasingly exerting control over our lives.
I explored the strategies employed by big tech
firms. These companies initially treat consumers
like royalty, offering goods and services at or
below cost to eliminate competition and dominate
the market. Once they have achieved market
dominance, the dynamic shifts, and users are
gradually turned into products. This
transformation is facilitated through extensive
data collection and consumer profiling (a
practice commonly referred to as surveillance
capitalism) as well as through the gradual
increase of service fees.
This process, known as "enshitification",
involves cornering a market through a technology
platform and then extracting maximum value from
it. This phenomenon can be observed in various
sectors: ride-hailing services (Uber), food
delivery platforms (Just Eat Takeaway and
Deliveroo), and online video streaming (YouTube
and Netflix) are just a few examples where
enshitification has already taken place.
By examining these developments, my position
paper sheds light on the underlying mechanisms
and consequences of big tech's growing
influence, urging readers to critically consider
the implications of our increasingly dependent
relationship with technology.
3

In my position paper, I articulated my
overarching vision: to provoke contemplation and
dialogue on pressing contemporary issues – the
sustainability dilemma, the fragility of
freedom, and the magnetic pull of futurism. I
proposed to achieve this through the use of
audience participation and rapid prototyping,
creating an engaging and dynamic approach to
these critical topics.
In the following pages, I will guide you through
the steps I have taken over the past year to
realize these goals. This journey includes the
strategies employed, the challenges encountered,
and the milestones achieved in my efforts to
foster meaningful discussions around these
pivotal issues.
“Isn't it wild how deeply digital our lives have
become? We’re in this era where everything we
do, from the mundane to the profound, is
influenced by technology. It's exciting, but
also a bit nerve-wracking, isn’t it? We're no
longer just in the age of information; we’ve
stepped into an age where surveillance is the
norm. Every click, every like, every online
purchase, it's all being recorded somewhere. At
first, it was about showing us ads that match
our interests. Now, it's about something much
bigger. What's intriguing (and slightly
concerning) is what this means for our future.
We’re talking about a world where our every move
is tracked, where privacy feels like a rare
commodity. Governments and big companies know
more about us than we might be comfortable with.
And all this data, well, it could be used for
who knows what.”
- Excerpt from my position paper “Digital Lives”
4

Methodologies: Prototyping
Prototyping has been a cornerstone of my experience at iArts,
significantly shaping my creative process. Throughout my time here,
I have consistently engaged in the iterative practice of rapid
prototyping—developing unique artistic ideas and swiftly building
the most feasible, stripped-down versions of these concepts. This
method has been particularly prominent in my work this year,
enabling me to experiment, learn, and refine my ideas quickly.
In my position paper, I provided an in-depth description of several
prototypes I constructed during the exploratory research phase of
my project. These prototypes were instrumental in honing my
prototyping skills and exploring new concepts, serving as valuable
practice for the final creation, The Machine. (Link to prototype:
AI generated Pixel Art gallery)
Picture) AI generated pixel art prototype from explorative research phase
5

Methodologies: Recycling
Another important method in my artistic toolkit is
recycling and reusing items that are no longer considered
valuable. For this specific project, I repurposed a
discarded old door as the frame for my machine and
refurbished a broken vending machine. Additionally I’m
using paper plates, something usually marked as a waste
byproduct, as one of the main elements for my project.
By giving these items a new life, I not only reduced
waste but also added a unique, sustainable element to the
project.
Pictures) left: Pizza plates with personal data, Right: old door being painted
6

Dutch People Invented The Greatest
Technology Ever
While visiting my girlfriend in Berlin over New
Year's, I had the opportunity to meet many new
people. During these encounters, I frequently
found myself explaining the nature of my studies
and the details of my current project. I always
took the opportunity to ask people what
technology meant to them and whether they felt
they still had control over it.
One late evening at the KitKat Club, I met a guy
wearing a fox tail who, though quite drunk, made
a memorable remark: "Dutch people have invented
the greatest technology ever. Late at night
after going out, you can visit this magic wall
that will trade your coins for food."
This statement struck me as profound. Indeed,
the FEBO machine might be one of the greatest
Dutch inventions. However, aside from the
addition of wireless payments, the concept of
this particular vending machine has seen little
innovation.
This encounter sparked an idea: what if this
technology became sentient and developed a
hunger not just for coins, but for data? In
other words; what if the Enshitification process
came to take over this machine? Intrigued by
this speculative scenario, I began searching
second-hand marketplace websites and I found a
FEBO machine from a business that had closed
down. I reached out and successfully negotiated
a deal to acquire the vending machine.
7

Bringing the machine back to working order was no small
feat; the coin reader, lighting, and heating unit were
all broken. After repairing these components, I began
experimenting by adding screens, sounds, and various
enhancements.
I realized that this machine was hungry for food. And
what is my specialty? Pizza. Thus, the journey of
transforming a traditional FEBO vending machine into an
interactive, data-collecting, sentient entity began,
blending my culinary skills with technological
innovation.
Pictures) left: vending machine after repairing the lights,
center: working on the heater, right: coin reader working again
8

Pizza
As I mentioned earlier, pizza is my specialty.
I've been baking pizzas as a hobby since 2018
and enjoying them for as long as I can remember.
Starting in the summer of last year, I made it a
tradition to cook pizzas every Thursday for my
entire house, which consists of over ten people.
This experience of cooking for large groups has
honed my skills and solidified my belief that
pizza would be the ideal choice for the Machine.
Another compelling reason for choosing pizza is
a humorous yet insightful suggestion from AI,
which stated, "every human likes pizza."
Initially, I found this statement amusing, but
upon reflection, I realized that I hardly know
anyone who doesn't enjoy pizza. This universal
appeal made pizza the perfect food to integrate
into my project, ensuring that the Machine would
be well-received by a broad audience.
9

The Research Trip
Realizing that I wanted to work with pizza
provided the perfect excuse to turn my week-long
vacation in February into a pizza-centric
adventure. And where better to immerse myself in
pizza culture than Naples and Rome? I am not
exaggerating when I say I ate pizza for every
single meal during that trip. I kept notes on
the techniques and ingredient combinations that
I found most appealing.
Here’s what I learned from the Italians:
●
●
●
Use High-Protein 00 (extremely finely ground)
Soft Flour: This type of flour is essential
for achieving the perfect pizza dough
texture, providing the right balance of
elasticity and chewiness.
Use High-Quality Tomatoes for the Sauce:
Preferably, use tomatoes grown on volcanic
soil, such as San Marzano tomatoes. These
tomatoes offer a rich, vibrant flavor that
forms the foundation of an excellent pizza
sauce.
Sometimes Less is More: One of my favorite,
and coincidentally cheapest, pizzas I
encountered in Italy was the Pizza Marinara.
This simple yet delicious pizza consists of
nothing more than a rich tomato sauce and a
few pizza spices. Its simplicity allows the
quality of the ingredients to shine through,
proving that great pizza doesn't always
require an abundance of toppings.
10

Pictures) different pizza’s I researched on my trip to Italy
Another interesting discovery from my trip is
that I have a fundamental disagreement with the
Italians: I believe that pizza should be cut
with a pizza wheel. I know this might be a
contentious opinion among traditionalists in
Italy. Italians might disagree vehemently and
might even challenge me for saying this, but I'm
ready to defend my stance.
11

Prototyping Interactivity
One crucial aspect of the project was ensuring
it had a high level of interactivity. I
envisioned incorporating interactivity in the
following ways:
●
●
Data Contribution: Users would become part of
the project by providing their data to 'sign
up,' effectively signing away the rights to
this data in the process.
Data Transactions: Users would actively
participate in 'buying' other users' data,
creating a dynamic exchange of information
and a conversation starter for the audience.
After testing an initial prototype with a test
audience, I realized that more interactivity was
needed to enhance user engagement. Consequently,
I introduced an additional interactive element:
●
Conversational Interaction: Users would be
able to talk to the machine. The machine, in
turn, would discuss the food it offers, the
topics I researched for my position paper,
and the role of technology in the user's
life.
The second prototype, incorporating this new
interactive conversation feature, was much
better received. Interestingly, the AI voice I
crafted often provided hilariously inaccurate
responses, such as "Yes, we do serve stir fry"
and "No, I am a real human". I decided to retain
the AI's flaws because they added an additional
layer to the enshitification process. This
choice underscores a critical commentary: be
prepared to see broken AIs replacing cashiers at
restaurants in the near future.
12

To make it seem like users were actually talking to the machine,
rather than just having a conversation with an AI on a phone, I
enlisted the help of Nikianna Sofia, a game design freelancer
with a Bachelor in Creative Media & Game Technologies from Breda
University. Her expertise was instrumental in developing the
interactive and responsive character, Byte.
The character Byte was born out of a brainstorming session where
Nikianna and I combined our interests and the character's
intended representation: a robot that sells pizza. This quirky
and endearing concept added a playful dimension to the project.
After creating the character, I used a free program called
PNGTuber+ to bring Byte to life, ensuring the character was
engaging and responsive to user interactions.
Picture) Chef Byte animated with PNGTuber+
13

Data Collection
To collect data from users, I devised a plan to
create a signup website with dual purposes: to
gather more data than users anticipated and to
obtain their consent to use this data as I saw fit.
First, I designed a straightforward signup page
that requested the information I wanted to collect:
the user's name, dietary preferences, email
address, and agreement to the Terms of Service
(TOS). This form was simple and could be filled in
under a minute.
Here's where a malicious trick (publicized 11 years
ago) comes into play: if the user utilized the
browser's autofill function to fill in their name
or email, the browser would send all autofill data
to me. This data included not only the name and
email but also the user's address, postal code,
country, phone number, business name, and even
credit card details.
In addition, I used the provided email addresses to
perform a password lookup through Breach Directory,
a website that lists leaked passwords. This allowed
me to gather even more personal information.
All the collected data was then compiled and fed to
an AI, which created a personalized bio /
introduction for each user. These bios were then
laser engraved onto the paper plates and sold back
to the consumers for profit.
Why would anyone sign up for this? The answer is
simple: free drinks. Dutch people, known for their
love of bargains, could never resist a deal that
includes the word "free." This incentive ensured a
high signup rate, allowing me to collect enough
data for the project.
14

Parts list for The Machine
The Machine is made up of several visible
components:
●
●
●
●
●
Malicious Website: Designed to collect as
much user data as possible.
The Vending Machine: A repurposed second-hand
FEBO loketautomaat.
Frame: Constructed from an old door, mirrored
window foil and some shelf holders.
Engraved Paper Plates: Made from FSC Recycled
materials.
Screen: A ChromeBook Duet displaying the
robotic chef, Byte.
In addition to these visible parts, The Machine
incorporates several hidden components:
●
●
●
●
●
Pizza Oven: Cozze pizza oven for the cooking
process.
Laser Engraver: LaserPecker LP 4 for
engraving the plates.
Phone: Running OpenAI GPT-4 with a script to
provide Byte with a brain.
Bluetooth Speaker: Connected to the phone to
give Byte a voice.
Laptop: Positioned in front of the Bluetooth
speaker, running PNGTuber+ to animate Byte
and bring him to life.
See the next page for a visual overview of
how these parts that make up The Machine.
15

Phone
Laptop
Bluetooth Speakers
Chromebook Duet
Second hand FEBO
Vending Machine
Plank Holder
Old Door
16

Malicious Website
Database
Engraved Plates
LaserPecker Laser
Engraver
FEBO Vending Machine
17

The Location
During the project, I sought a suitable location
for the machine. Ideally, it would have been
placed in a shop in a busy street in the city
center near other restaurants or in the canteen
of a high-tech company. I was in discussions
with Kaleido, a student organization at the
TapijnKazerne grounds, right up until the
project's final stages. However, just days
before we were supposed to finalize the date
with our program, I was informed that I could
not prepare and serve food at their location
because they lacked the proper permits for such
an operation.
Scrambling to find an alternative, I realized
that no other location seemed to work for my
project. That's when my housemates, who had been
part of the test groups, suggested hosting it at
our house, a large former school building. While
this location wasn't ideal for making a broad
societal impact, my goal was not necessarily to
reach a wide audience but to make a significant
impact on those who did participate.
Specifically, I aimed to engage those who would
be enticed by free drinks and food without
reading the terms of service.
18

Hosting the project at home turned out to be a practical
solution. Although it didn't provide the large public venue I
initially envisioned, it allowed me to proceed without the
logistical and financial constraints of finding a new
location. Moreover, doing it at home cost me nothing, making
it a feasible and effective alternative under the
circumstances.
The next step for this project certainly won't be at home. As
mentioned earlier, the canteen of a high-tech company or a
privacy-oriented organization would be a much better fit.
Moving the project to such a venue would enhance its
relevance and reach, making it possible to explore the
implications of data collection and surveillance capitalism
in environments where these issues are particularly
pertinent.
Pictures) Users interacting with The Machine
19

Project Planning, Management and
Collaborations
As detailed in my position paper, "Mindful
Machines," I divided my project into several
phases. The first phase was dedicated to
research, where I explored the topics outlined in
my position paper and practiced rapid
prototyping. This prototyping phase helped me
develop a methodology that eventually led to the
concept of The Machine, allowing me to bring it
to life within a limited timeframe. I considered
this broader research phase complete when I was
required to develop a project proposal.
Once I had a clear direction, I entered the
practical/execution phase. During this phase, I
conducted more targeted research into
Interactivity Design, Pizza Baking, Vending
Machine Repairs, and Data Collection. I also
reached out to local artists and entrepreneurs
for assistance with designing interactivity and
planning the catering. This is when I connected
with Nikianna Sofia, and together, we began
designing the character Byte.
Throughout this process, I shared my vision with
Niki, discussing what the character would
represent and its role. Niki proposed giving the
character a screen for a face, creating a Droste
effect since the character is also the face of
the machine. Since we both love cats (and, let’s
be real, who doesn’t?), we decided that the
character should have a cat face on its display.
Thus, Chef Byte was born.
20

During this time, I also began collaborating with
Dienne Hoofs, a local entrepreneur who
specializes in advising business ventures. She
co-owns and operates the Bandito Espresso coffee
bar at the University of Maastricht. Dienne's
extensive experience in horeca (hospitality) and
project management proved invaluable. Her ongoing
feedback and insights continually helped elevate
my project to the next level. Her expertise
ensured that each phase of development was
refined and executed effectively, contributing
significantly to the success of the project.
21

Expenses
Expenses and Revenues
iArts
Sligro ingredients (49.75)
Drinks (20.95)
Gamma Materials (76.40)
Character Design Byte (100.00)
External
Partner
Event Hosting (75.00)
Personal
Vending Machine (900.00)
Laser Engraver (750.00)
Total Expenses (247.10) (825.00) (900.00)
contributions 250.00 825.00 900.00
Vending Machine Revenue 67.80
Donations / Gifts 250.00
Catering 120.00
Total Revenues 250.00 1,195.00 967.80
Revenues - expenses 2.90 370.00 67.80
22

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25

The Future For The Machine
As a project, The Machine is not yet complete.
There are numerous aspects that could be improved
and polished to enhance its overall impact and
functionality. Key areas for improvement include:
● Location: Finding a more suitable venue, such
as the canteen of a high-tech company or a
privacy-oriented organization, would significantly
enhance the project's relevance and reach. A
well-chosen location would provide a broader and
more engaged audience.
● Interactive Aspects: While the current
interactive elements have been well-received, there
is always room for refinement. Enhancing the
machine's conversational abilities, improving the
accuracy of the AI responses, and incorporating more
sophisticated user interactions would make the
experience even more engaging and immersive.
● Content and Presentation: Adding more
informative and entertaining content about data
privacy, surveillance capitalism, and the role of
technology in our lives could enrich the educational
aspect of the project.
By addressing these areas, The Machine can evolve
into a more polished and impactful project, better
equipped to provoke contemplation and dialogue on
the pressing contemporary issues it aims to
highlight.
The project has been well-received and has already
opened up new opportunities for me. I've been asked
to provide catering for two events over the summer
and have received inquiries about renting out the
machine. I’ve also been offered an internship
opportunity at my favorite pizza shop: Piano B.
These opportunities are a testament to the project's
success and its potential to engage and captivate
audiences. Moving forward, I am excited to explore
these new ventures and continue to refine and expand
the capabilities of The Machine.
26

Entrepreneurial Prospects
This project opens up a wide array of artistic
entrepreneurial opportunities that blend
culinary arts, interactive technology, and
educational engagement. By capitalizing on these
prospects, I can create a diverse and
sustainable business model that leverages my
unique skills and innovative approach.
●
●
●
●
●
Leveraging my expertise in pizza making and
interactive technology, I could offer bespoke
catering services for events. This includes
creating an interactive dining experience that
engages guests and provides a memorable
culinary adventure.
I could rent out The Machine for various
events, from corporate gatherings to private
parties. Its unique concept of combining AI,
interactive elements, and gourmet pizza could
attract event planners looking for a novel and
engaging addition to their events.
I could partner with tech companies or
privacy-focused organizations to conduct
workshops or demonstrations on data privacy,
surveillance capitalism, and the role of
technology in everyday life. Using The Machine
as a centerpiece to facilitate discussions and
interactive learning.
Offering consulting services to other artists
or organizations looking to incorporate
interactive technology into their projects.
Providing expertise in integrating AI, rapid
prototyping, and user interaction into various
projects, helping clients create unique and
engaging experiences.
27

Artistic Portfolio
During this project, I have developed a range of
skills that I plan to further explore over the
coming year. These skills include:
●
●
●
●
●
Laser Engraving on all kinds of materials
(plastics, metals, wood, paper etc)
Traditional Italian Pizza Baking
Interactivity Design
Rapid Prototyping
Photography
Pictures) Left: various metal items I engraved. Right: A Pizza baked by me
28

Pictures) Top: Users examining their personal data. Left: User
interacting with the machine. Right: Chef Byte waving you goodbye
29

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