Transportation Dreams and Imaginary Journey – on Technology, Auto- mation and the World Laura Beloff Aalto University Espoo, Finland laura.beloff@aalto. Abstract The paper discusses the historical transportation devel- opment project in France called Aramis, and parallel to it an artwork dealing with a self-driving vehicle and audio, titled the R-Bus. The Aramis project revealed the socio-political and technical challenges of integrating innova-tive systems into society, while the R-Bus offered a glimpse into a future where hybrid ecologies redefine the boundaries of reality and narrative. In the heart of the ar-ticle are questions about emerging technological systems and their impact to our lives. Keywords Art, AI, Transportation, Algorithms, Aramis, R-Bus, self- driving vehicles, ecosystems Introduction When a human plays the piano, our admiration lies in their skill and personal interpretation. In contrast, when an automated system performs music, such as a self-playing piano, our fascination shifts to the "magic" behind the technology that brings the music to life. This magic is emphasized by the sight of keys moving as if guided by an invisible hand, devoid of a physical presence. Typically, while watching automated mechanics in action, we instinctively compare the precision and technical correctness of the automated performance to the nuanced interpretation of a human pianist. At the core of this com- parison is the notion that the human performer serves as the counter measure against which the automation is evaluated. We are living in a world with increasing amounts of auto- mation, artificial intelligence and data-based infrastructures. The paper discusses a public artwork that offers a conrete experience and a brings out view of the world that is struc-tured with algorithms and data. The artwork, the R-Bus (2023), consisted of a self-driving robotic bus driving in an urban area and an audioscape inside it [1]. The artwork was created as a journey in a world that hosts artificial organisms imagined to be living in a green envi-ronment in-between urban construction. In the work, audi-ence could hear sounds of imaginary species developed by machine learning. The base for the generative sounds are based on an existing bioacoustic hypothesis and the actual environment in the area where the robotic bus was driving. The robotic bus had a mind of its own, it independently decided which route it took and where it would leave the passengers. As another example, the paper shortly introduces the his-torical transport development in France. The Aramis trans-portation system was a futuristic concept that was being developed from 1970 until the plans were abandoned in 1987. The description of the Aramis-project is based on a book by Bruno Latour Aramis, or the Love of Technology, which traces the process of the personal rapid transit (PRT) development in Paris. [2]. 1. Technology The dream of creating intelligent systems with technology has a well-documented history. One notable milestone occurred in 1956 when Allen Newell and Herbert Simon worked to create a computer capable of proving mathematical theo-rems. Similarly, since the 1950s, Artificial Intelligence (AI) researchers have been striving to develop a computer skilled at chess. This longstanding ambition reached a groundbreaking moment in 1997 when IBM's Deep Blue astonished the world by defeating the world chess champi-on Garry Kasparov [3]. During the same time Bruno Latour published a book ti- tled Aramis or the love of technology [2]. The book examines the relationships between humans, technology, and society through the lens of the ambitious Aramis project for an urban transportation system. It traces the rise and fall of the automated transportation system intended for Paris. The Aramis project was planned and developed for twenty-four years, from the 1970 until 1987. In the mid-1980’s the political interest in its development faded away and at the end, its components were considered too complex and ex-pensive, and the project was abandoned. However, the dream about a better and intelligent public transport system didn’t disappear. Today, a comparable technology-fused dream is found in the development of self-driving vehicles that are operated with AI systems. 1.1 Aramis The Aramis project was conceived in the 1970s as a revolutionary public transit system that would combine the efficiency of mass transit with the flexibility of private vehicles. The system was envisioned to consist of small, automated pods that could be individually programmed to transport passengers directly to their destinations without the need for stops or transfers. It promised to alleviate urban congestion, reduce pollution, and provide a personalized yet communal mode of transportation. https://data.doi.or.kr/10.23362/KOEN2025.07.25.1.006 Beloff, L. 2025 Transportation Dreams and Imaginary Journey – on Technology, Automation and the World. Proceedings of the International Symposium on Electronic/Emerging Art: 2025, Seoul, Republic of Korea / no., 2025, pp.64-68