A virtual reality (VR) short film called I Phillip created by French filmmaker Pierre Zandrowicz is exploring what it is like to be a robot, putting the viewer in the head of an android and giving a glimpse of the world as seen through electronic eyes.
I Philip tells the story of an android created by American robotics expert David Hanson in 2005. The sophisticated android called Philip, and designed and built to be a copy of famous science fiction author Philip K. Dick, who wrote memorably on the topic of the line between human and machine in Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? A story that was later adapted into seminal cyberpunk film Blade Runner.
Phil the android quickly gained fame around science fiction fans and on the internet. The android was presented at various scientific and engineering conferences before its head went missing during transit on a flight to a Google Tech Talk, and the project went dormant for several years after.
The VR film presents an interpretation of the life of Phil the android, offering a view from his perspective, with memories of the android itself along with ideas of the author.
Though the premise is somewhat fantastic, the event presented were ones that occurred in real life, given an interpretation by the filmmaker.
Google Daydream users can now experience I Philip through the Hulu VR app. Users will need a Hulu subscription in order to view the film.
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