Daily Archives: 24 Feb 2013

Joshua

24 Feb 2013

.fluid

this project involves a speaker, non-newtonian fluid, and a touch sensitive table surface. Non-newtonian fluids are fluids in which the rate of deformation is not linearly related to the forces trying to deform that fluid.  One type of non-Newtonian fluid, which is being used in this video (probably cornstarch and water), gets more viscous as it gets more agitated.  If this fluid is placed on top of a speaker and vibrated at high frequencies, the fluid begins to get more viscous and can form little towers and blobs. It appears that in this project the interactive component involves controlling the frequency (or perhaps also amplitude) of the speaker.  I enjoy that multiple people can contact the table and the effects of this change are fairly visible in the behavior of the fluid.  In fact I think that this is more interesting in the liquid itself.  I wonder how the sensors work

here is another example of non-newtonian fluid on a speaker

 

Interactive Robotic Painting Machine

This project uses a genetic algorithm to create various iterations of strokes on a canvas.  The GA takes inputs from a microphone to somehow evaluate a given sequence of strokes, and create a new sequence based on those external inputs.  The machine has the ability to listen to itself.  Unfortunately there is not much information on the website about the details of the GA and how exactly it is processing the sound input and what the GA is optimizing for.  The general concept is fascinating, and the machine itself is beautiful.

 

Pulse

click on link to see video (this video can’t be embedded unless permission is given. oh well),

a little physical graph.  I kind of like this because it could go in so many directions.  It makes me think of some sort of configurable sculpture.  Sculptures that are visualizations of data.  The idea of a piece of string being pulled by motors is simple and could be modified in many ways.  The string could be stretchy, the motors could be replaced with linear actuators or a combination of linear actuators and servos to allow for and and depth change.  I don’t like how slow and jerky this model is, but I am sure with some nice servos and more wires it could be pretty slick.

Patt

24 Feb 2013

Starfield by Lab212

Starfield is an installation that uses the rhythm of a swing to control the projection of a starry sky. OpenFrameworks is used in conjunction with a Kinect and a projection to create the installation. The details of how this is done can be found in this link. I like this application because it is a simple interactive installation that gives a bigger effect. Event though a swinger, with his swinging motion can control the image projected on the wall, it really is gravity that is doing the work – which I find to be a cool concept. This simple activity of swinging allows you to space out in time, which is the same effect of when you look at a sky full of stars. The combination of the two brings the best of both worlds.

The V Motion Project by Assembly

I think this performance is just amazing. This live performance is a work of collaboration between musicians, dancers, programmers, designers and animators. I find the idea of integrating music with interaction really compelling, and they are able to execute it very well. It is the performance that makes me want to learn to how to combine different tools such as a Kinect and AbletonLive to create a similar project. It also heightens my interest in projection mapping.

Floating Forecaster by Richard Harvey

To me, this installation is more of a proof of concept than anything else. It shows an interaction between a physical object, a tool such as an iPhone, and a software (in this case MaxMSP). This reminds me of touchOSC, in which I have recently explored and slowly becoming familiar with. It is a good start, but I think it can be taken further.

Kyna

24 Feb 2013

Silk

Silk is an interactive website that uses mouse movement as a drawing tool to create beautiful textured art. There are several color options as well as symmetry options in composing your piece, and the somewhat-generative music is optional. I find this piece very aesthetically successful.

silk

CLOUD

CLOUD: An Interactive Sculpture Made from 6,000 Light Bulbs from Caitlind r.c. Brown on Vimeo.

This piece is composed of 6,000 lightbulbs, both new and burnt out, and each have a string to pull to toggle whether it is on or off. As an installation, this allows for individuals to come together collectively to experience the piece, and even accomplish goals together (as seen in the video).

001cloud_almost_done_large_verge_medium_landscape

Way

I included Way, despite the fact that it’s a game, because I feel like as compared to most games, even multiplayer games, Way has a very unique form of interaction. In the game, you play one of two characters on a split screen. Both of you must pass through your own personal puzzle in order for both of you to advance to the next stage. However, you cannot see all of the solutions to your own puzzle, and must rely on the other player to tell you how to proceed. You cannot type to each other or given any written or verbal communication. The only thing you can do if move your arms and head to make various gestural movements. I think this method of interaction and communication within gaming is relatively novel.

Also it’s from CMU!

Yvonne

24 Feb 2013

Mole Bot

Mole Bot is one of my favorite projects, why? Because it is an interactive pet coffee table! I think it is a well thought out project that approaches the 3d pixel in a different way. The interactivity with the “mole” is cute and fun, especially when combined with Kinect camera.

 

Angry Birds Live

I thought this was a fun project that linked the virtual with the real. It’s not an individual student project, true. But I enjoy how they took a game and translated that game into a reality in a fun, overly dramatic way.

 

ZeroN

I’m a sucker for gravitating/levitating objects. Anything that seems to defy gravity gets me all excited. That could explain why I like magic shows so much. Regardless, I think this project is interesting for its interactivity as well. I mean, you’re interacting with a floating ball, that’s just cool. And you can do a lot of real time stuff with it. Simulate solar systems, get video from an architectural model, or just play pong.

John

24 Feb 2013

Dactyl Nightmare

Back in the early nineties when we were all listening to Cassandra Complex and pouring over tattered copies of Neuromancer, I cajoled my parents into (a) taking me to Dave and Busters and (b) forking over many dollars to let me play Dactyl Nightmare. Dactyl Nightmare was one of the first immersive 3D virtual-reality games, and was both clunky and fairly crap-tacular if memory serves. I remember wearing a musty helmet and spinning around helplessly trying to navigate through a low polygon 3d environment without much luck. Firing weapons was hopeless. Nevertheless, games like Dactyl nightmare are important touchstones (a) in the cultural milieu that spawned Lawnmower Man and (b) as early, not-so-well-realized, examples of the CS research pouring over into popular gaming.

 

Apple Knowledge Navigator

Not a real product, but certainly one of the all-time greats in speculative interaction design. The knowledge navigator speaks for itself as both a rather humourous anachronism and as a vision of a future that’s (kinda-sorta) come to pass. While not interactive art, it’s certainly a reminder that thinking about what’s not yet possible can be a fruitful use of time and energy.

The Long March

This videogame piece by Feng Mengbo is basically a remix of videogame classics cast as the history of the People’s Republic of China. It’s installed as two huge projection screens facing one another which participants/visitors can walk through. The interaction takes the form of a standard (snes i think) controller, but by manipluating scale and content creates something much more compelling than any standard game of Street Fighter II.