Why build a robotic portrait of Philip K Dick?

In many ways, Philip K Dick was the natural choice for this project.

Dick was a science fiction writer who explored what it means to be human, and wrote extensively about humans, androids, and identity. Some of his characters are androids who think they are humans. In other stories, it becomes impossible to tell human from robot.

Dick was fascinated by the possibility of thinking, humanoid machines. By making an android in his likeness the project honored his work and payed tribute to a visionary thinker.