Automation

À Nous la Liberté

René Clair’s 1931 À Nous la Liberté follows two convicts — one who becomes a tramp, the other a phonograph magnate — and their reunion in a factory whose assembly line echoes the prison they fled. With Georges Auric’s music supplying much of the diegetic sound, and Georges Périnal’s cinematography framing both institutions as variations on the same geometry, the film stages a precise, unsentimental satire of mechanisation, class and the illusion of upward mobility. It is formally inventive, politically light-footed, and built on recurrence rather than revelation.

WALL-E

WALL-E is a 2008 Pixar animated science-fiction romance set in a depopulated future, following a waste-collecting robot who discovers love and purpose after encountering an exploratory probe. Directed by Andrew Stanton, it uses minimal dialogue, expressive sound design, and layered visual storytelling to explore ecological neglect, automation, and human atrophy. Its first act unfolds on a ruined Earth; its second aboard the sterile starship Axiom; its third in the fragile, hopeful return to ground. It won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and was added to the US National Film Registry in 2021.

Modern Times

Charlie Chaplin’s 1936 Modern Times is his final silent film and last appearance as the Little Tramp. Set against the Great Depression, it follows the Tramp and a young woman, Ellen, through unemployment, mistaken arrests, factory work, and fleeting shelter — all rendered through tightly choreographed slapstick and sparse, stylised sound. Though episodic, its gags target automation, surveillance, and class with surgical precision. Composed and directed by Chaplin, it remains a landmark of cinematic satire and humanist comedy.

Norbert Wiener

Shakey the robot

Factorio

Factorio is a factory simulation game developed and published by Czech studio Wube Software.

Assembly line

ABB

ABB is a post-merger industrial incumbent whose value lies in proven, regulated, physical infrastructure — not software, platforms, or scalability stories.

Travis Kalanick

Mahindra & Mahindra

Marc Benioff

Salesforce

Salesforce is a case study in narrative-first SaaS scaling: built on a slogan, funded by subscription growth, extended by platform logic, and recalibrated by AI-driven cost shifts—not disruption, but disciplined iteration.

Tesla, Inc.

Tesla is not a software or AI company—it is a vertically integrated hardware manufacturer whose valuation rests on future scale, not current unit economics. Its founders were Eberhard and Tarpenning. Musk joined in 2004, led funding, took control, and shaped its public narrative. It sells cars, batteries, and solar—but publishes no per-product margin data. Its market dominance is financial, not operational.

AI agent

Unmanned aerial vehicle

Mobile robot

Unmanned surface vehicle

Self-driving truck

Computer numerical control

Cobot

Domestic robot

Metalhead (Black Mirror)

New Aesthetic

Alexander McQueen

Alexander McQueen was a British fashion designer active from 1992 to 2010. He trained in Savile Row tailoring after leaving school at 16 with one O-level in art. His MA graduation collection at Central Saint Martins attracted patron Isabella Blow. He became known for the 'bumster' trousers and for combining historicism, autobiography and performance art in runway shows—including robotic spray-painting (Spring/Summer 1999) and a holographic Kate Moss (Autumn/Winter 2006). His work explored romanticism, sexuality and death.

Ferrari F50

The Ferrari F50 is a 1995–1997 limited-run targa-top supercar. Its 4.7 L V12 came from Formula One. Its shape grew from the 1989 Mythos concept and borrowed F1 front-end cues. It uses a rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout. Only 349 were built.

Kia EV6

The Kia EV6 is Kia’s first dedicated battery electric vehicle. It launched in 2021 on the Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP). It is a compact crossover SUV. It won the 2022 European Car of the Year award. It introduced Kia’s new EV naming series. It was developed under codename CV. First photographs appeared 15 March 2021. Full release followed on 2 August 2021.

Mercedes-Benz 600

The Mercedes-Benz 600 is a full-size ultra-luxury limousine line, styled by Paul Bracq in the 1960s, built from 1963 to 1981. It succeeded the Adenauer as Mercedes’ flagship. Its pneumatic self-levelling suspension and hydraulic amenities demanded a bespoke 6.3 L V8. Only 2,677 were built. Short-wheelbase models were owner-driven; long-wheelbase and limousine variants were for chauffeurs. At launch in 1963, it was the most expensive car in the world.

Peugeot 905

The Peugeot 905 is a sports-prototype racing car built by Peugeot Talbot Sport. It was developed for the 1991 World Sportscar Championship’s F1-inspired regulations. It debuted in the final two races of the 1990 season. It won nine of 17 races, including Le Mans in 1992 and 1993 (905B), and secured both driver’s and team’s titles in the 1992 championship. It features a carbon-fibre monocoque and a 3499 cc naturally aspirated V10. It has no documented connection to Gérard Welter’s Welter Racing.

Porsche 911 GT1

The Porsche 911 GT1 is a race car disguised as a 911. It uses 993 front structure and 962C rear architecture. It won Le Mans in 1998 — then Porsche withdrew from factory racing for 16 years.

Saab 92

The Saab 92 is Saab’s first production car. It launched on 12 December 1949, derived from the Ursaab prototype. It is a front-wheel-drive saloon with a water-cooled, two-stroke, 764 cc engine.

Bugatti Veyron

The Bugatti Veyron is a mid-engine, all-wheel-drive sports car with an 8.0 L quad-turbocharged W16 engine, designed by Jozef Kabaň (exterior) and Hartmut Warkuß (chief designer), produced from 2005 to 2015 in a total of 450 units. It features a seven-speed dual-clutch direct-shift automatic transmission built by Ricardo and permanent all-wheel drive using the Haldex Traction system. Multiple variants — standard, Super Sport, Grand Sport, and Grand Sport Vitesse — achieved verified top speeds up to 431.072 km/h.

Jeep Cherokee (XJ)

The Jeep Cherokee (XJ) is a foundational off-road vehicle designed by Dick Teague and launched by AMC in 1983. It introduced unibody construction to American 4x4s, marketed itself as a Sportwagon, and reshaped consumer expectations — becoming the template for the modern SUV.

Mutable Instruments Marbles

Mutable Instruments Marbles is a Eurorack module for generative timing and control voltage. It uses hardware randomness, memory-based reuse (DEJA VU), and adaptive quantization (STEPS) to produce rhythm and pitch that respond to player input. It has no audio output, no presets, no MIDI, and no visual interface beyond LEDs. Its strength is in linking decision-making across domains—timing, pitch, and memory—in real time.

Roland MC-8 Microcomposer

The Roland MC-8 Microcomposer is a pioneering CV/Gate sequencer from early 1977. It uses an Intel 8080A CPU and 16 KB RAM to store up to 5,300 notes. It enables polyphonic sequencing via CV/Gate allocation and precise, rapid control of VCOs, VCFs, and lighting. It was designed for large modular systems like the System 700 and System-100M. It does not support real-time recording well and lacks modern interface conveniences.

Neve 80 Series

The Neve 80 Series is a hand-wired analogue mixing console built from 1968 to 1979. It uses custom preamps, line amps, and compressor/limiters wired point-to-point by hand. The 8048 model features the 1081 preamp and 4-band EQ across 24 or 32 channels. In 1976, Neve launched the in-line-monitor 8058 and 8068. Late-’70s units offered NECAM, the world’s first successful moving-fader automation system. Production was limited; manufacturing ceased in 1979.

Canali

Puma Speedcat

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