Robert Todonai's robot took three hours to paint an Impressionist still-life, Apples. The 55-year-old artist spent much of that time watching it work, occasionally leaving his studio to make a cup of coffee and answer the phone. The $400 robot, which he built and programmed himself, continued, regardless, noisily squeaking and whirring away as it dabbed at the canvas.

It can paint the same picture repeatedly and without repetition. An original image – in this case, of the apples – is scanned into its memory. A brush stroke of random length, direction and position is generated, and is accepted if it fits within parameters, including permitted length, colour and overlap. The process is repeated until a simulated painting has been rendered, which is then painted. And because each stroke determines where following strokes are placed, each version is subtly different, yet still faithful to the original.