AirXY is a multimedia installation combining real time animation, sensors, haze, light and sound that was conceived for the 2008 Architecture Biennale in Venice.
Large-scale screen and floor projections confront and engage visitors passing through the massive space of the Corderie dell’Arsenale. The screen is a clock and responsive real time capture of the presence of visitors while the floor projection gradually reveals a fleeting, ethereal architecture.
The AirXY facade was implemented by Hugues Bruy?®re and myself. The software is written in C++ using the openFrameworks library. The video is captured using 4 infra-red cameras, and is processed using OpenCV and the FreeFrame 1.5 video plugin architecture. Rendering is done in traditional OpenGL and using GLSL shaders. The output image is split and output to 2 projectors for display on the screens.
Check out airxy.org for more information.
Conceived by Erik Adigard, M-A-D/Chris Salter
Technical Direction and Lighting :: Harry Smoak
Interaction Development :: Hugues Bruy?®re & Elie Zananiri
Project Management :: Patricia McShane
Special Thanks :: Patrick Harrop, Antonio Cataldo, Mariagiovanna Nuzzi & Thomas Spier
Cartoons, slapstick, effects that look like they’re from 1998, and good music by Ween… that’s me.
Published on
September 25, 2008 in
ITP.
Tags: physcomp.
I just did the servo lab. It was pretty straightforward; I got it to work with both the original version and the new Servo library in Arduino 0012.
We just got 6 rotating plasma screens hooked up in the hall at ITP. My Video Sculpture class made the first project to be installed on them. It’s a giant person made out of 6 videos: 2 half-heads, 2 arms, and 2 hands.
Rumour has it that these screens will be hooked up with servos and accelerometers… That’s going to be lots of fun.
Published on
September 22, 2008 in
ITP.
Tags: physcomp.
This is how I think that installation with the 24 switches works:
An abstract video¬†made for Video Sculpture¬†that portrays the adjective “hidden”. I kind of went nuts on this one…
¬† Continue reading ‘Hidden’
I’ve updated the Social Homes plug-in to version 2.3. Based on everyone’s requests, I added the BlogCatalog, Blogger, BUMPzee, Ma.gnolia, MyBlogLog, reddit, Technorati, and XING services. I also had to put all the services in alphabetical order, so you’ll need to re-configure the plugin once you update.
Get it here.
Published on
September 20, 2008 in
ITP.
Tags: physcomp.
Here are some stills from the “Understanding Electricity” lab for Physical Computing.
 
Here is my first foam-core cube. It’s built out of a single piece of foam-core folded into the cube shape. This is actually what I based myself on for the Grade My Kiss display box, but it didn’t go very well the second time over.
 
 
Also, here is my first blue foam prototype. It’s a top, but it’s a little off-center so it doesn’t spin for very long.
 
Published on
September 17, 2008 in
ITP.
Tags: physcomp.
Sara and I went to Times Square for our Physical Computing observation assignment. Here are our notes.
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Location & Time of Day:
ESPN Zone Arcade and Toys ‘R Us video games section, Times Square, around 4p
 
Apparent Intent of the Actor(s):
Play games, including four games without screens (one-player hockey game; two-player hockey game; two-player bowling game) and numerous screen-based games (for one and one to two players, including a great one-player dance game)
Time Taken for the Action:
2 to 5 minutes or more, depending on the game
Number of people involved:
One to two people in all cases
Motor Skills Needed (hands, legs, seeing, hearing, etc.):
Varied slightly from game to game, but in all cases the games we observed required seeing and hand(s)-to-eye coordination; some games required leg movement; none of the games actually required hearing, but sound was incorporated into all the games, seemingly to add to the enjoyment of the game experience
Summary
Our observations at these locations brought us to several conclusions:
- In general people are playing these games not just to play alone or against the computer, but to play with/against other people, i.e., the people with whom they made this trip to the arcade. That is, everyone that we saw was playing in pairs or even larger groups, either playing next to each other or playing a game that required two or more players. In every case, people seemed to be having a great time.
- The most popular arcade games were actually not video games at all. That is, they didn’t involve a video or screen. The only role that technology really played in these games — hockey and bowling, specifically — was to keep score for people.
- All the arcade games that we observed used verbal cues to encourage/inspire the player in some way. Mostly this was in the form of ego-stroking (Great! Good shot! Advance to the next level! Access, Level 6!). This reminded us of Chris Crawford’s point that ‚Äú[w]hen we truly interact with someone or something, we are truly engaged. [...] Active, direct involvement always demands greater attention than passive observation.‚Äù By engaging the player with encouragement and reward (moving to the next level), these arcade games engaged users in a way that an ATM machine, for example, just does not do.
Continue reading ‘Observations in Times Square’
