# Semantic Glitch: Agency and Artistry in an Autonomous Pixel Cloud

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.16048 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2511.16048/

## Key facts

- No citing papers in the map yet (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 6 of its 27 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 20 Nov 2025.

## Builds on (most cited first, 6 of 6)

- [Chain-of-Thought Prompting Elicits Reasoning in Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2201.11903/) (2022)
- [RT-2: Vision-Language-Action Models Transfer Web Knowledge to Robotic Control](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2307.15818/) (2023)
- [VQA: Visual Question Answering](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1505.00468/) (2015)
- [EMMA: End-to-End Multimodal Model for Autonomous Driving](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2410.23262/) (2024)
- [Cuddle-Fish: Exploring a Soft Floating Robot with Flapping Wings for Physical Interactions](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2504.01293/) (2025)
- [Multi Layered Autonomy and AI Ecologies in Robotic Art Installations](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2506.02606/) (2025)

## Abstract (arXiv)

While mainstream robotics pursues metric precision and flawless performance, this paper explores the creative potential of a deliberately "lo-fi" approach. We present the "Semantic Glitch," a soft flying robotic art installation whose physical form, a 3D pixel style cloud, is a "physical glitch" derived from digital archaeology. We detail a novel autonomous pipeline that rejects conventional sensors like LiDAR and SLAM, relying solely on the qualitative, semantic understanding of a Multimodal Large Language Model to navigate. By authoring a bio-inspired personality for the robot through a natural language prompt, we create a "narrative mind" that complements the "weak," historically, loaded body. Our analysis begins with a 13-minute autonomous flight log, and a follow-up study statistically validates the framework's robustness for authoring quantifiably distinct personas. The combined analysis reveals emergent behaviors, from landmark-based navigation to a compelling "plan to execution" gap, and a character whose unpredictable, plausible behavior stems from a lack of precise proprioception. This demonstrates a lo-fi framework for creating imperfect companions whose success is measured in character over efficiency.