Machina Panoptes is an interactive installation that combines robotics, computer vision, synthetic speech, and lighting. It is inspired by Argus Panoptes – the mythological creature with a hundred eyes from the myth of Io.

The work consists of six semi-transparent white plexiglass panels, each measuring 50x50 cm, forming a “wall of gaze” with a total width of 1.5 meters and height of 1 meter. Each panel hosts 16 robotic eyes, 96 in total, which track the viewer with an almost organic precision.

The installation incorporates a Kinect sensor that detects human presence and tracks movement. When someone approaches, a webcam is activated to detect the viewer’s gender. A cookie jar is placed in the space. Through synthetic speech, the system addresses the visitor personally with the phrase: “Hello sir/miss, would you like to have a cookie?”, alluding to digital cookies and the language of user consent online.
If the visitor takes a physical cookie from the jar, the system interprets it as consent and fully activates: the robotic eyes begin to move in sync, and the lighting responds accordingly. If not, the voice politely bids farewell and gently encourages the visitor to take a cookie next time.

Machina Panoptes invites the viewer to engage in a playful yet critical experience, prompting reflection on issues of consent, surveillance, and personal data in our contemporary digital reality.

My name is Lampros Marios Pavlakis. I am a visual artist and creator of interactive works based on robotics, electronics, music technology, and physical computing. I graduated from the Department of Fine Arts and Sciences of Art at the University of Ioannina. I have several years of experience as a Visual Arts teacher in Primary and Secondary Education, while since 2020 I have been actively engaged in the creation of interactive installations and open-source hardware projects such as MIDI controllers and other original devices.  My work has been recognized on international platforms such as Instructables and the Arduino Project Hub and has been featured across various technological and artistic networks. I am the founder of Crius Digital Studio, through which I design and share educational material and tutorials. Through my work, I aim to creatively combine artistic practice with emerging technologies, promoting interdisciplinarity, learning, and accessibility in the arts.