Lameness

So I am programming and painting today. Two Ps in a pod!!

I just figured out why the hell my Mini hasn't been working... its my version of Arduino!! The problem of not being able to load programs was a problem w/ Arduino 10, it works fine w/ Arduino 06.

It seems to just be a problem w/ Minis, as I was able to upload w/ the regular NG board no problem. Everything seems to be working fine now. I am trying to send my sensor data to Max/MSP. I am using this chuck o' code I found on the Arduino playground, called Arduino2Max, which is pretty tidy.

Hopefully this is the last hurdle getting all my electrical components to work w/ the software. I will be able to get the board inside the projector, as there seems to be some space available! And incidentally because I bought sooo many bulbs last semester I happen to have a replacement bulb handy.

Understudy

So... my projector housing that was supposed to be rapid prototyped will not be making it into my piece for this show due to scheduling issues in ID beyond my control. I am very disappointed because I spent a lot of time designing the projector and getting the parts ordered and such, to not use it at all. In lieu of a custom made projector, I found a "Plan B" to stand in... a , a cheap toy projector from Wal-Mart (only $75)!


Another big change is that I will be switching to using Max/MSP/Jitter since I am having major meltdown issues w/ my install of Windows and running VVVV. So sad, since I really liked using this program and went through all the trouble to learn it. I decided to go ahead and buy Max/MSP/Jitter since it will be a good program to have under my belt in addition to VVVV.

Dealing with hardware issues has been my bane, but I am glad that I resolved the video component of what I'm working on w/ the media. Here are links to the rough edits of them:

Doom
Spring

I need to go pickup my projection material tomorrow, as well as pickup some paint to cover the "cradle" of the projector, and stop by a few stores to build a housing for the off-the-shelf projector I am now using.

Arduino Troubleshooting

Wired up my sensor, Arduino and board... not sure why its not uploading my program. I am using the newest Arduino Mini (v 04) and I updated my version of Arduino (v10) and FTDI USB drivers. I went through the Troubleshooting page and still no success!

The error I get is:

avrdude: stk500_getsync(): not in sync: resp=0x20
avrdude: stk500_disable(): protocol error, expect=0x14, resp=0x20

The pins to sensor data is as follows:

Analog0 = x axis
Analog1 = y axis
Analog2 = z axis
Analog3 = y rate
Analog4 = x rate
Digital2 = v-ref

Installation Model

I tried out a new program called Sketchup from Google that is more designed for environmental/structual 3D renderings. It's very rudimentary, but I think it communicates the general setup ... I thought about the design problem, and went back to my original inspiration. So instead of a chair, I am going to use a cradle-like structure to hold the projecor, which I intend to line w/ fabric.

I also adjusted the design so the cord comes from the middle part of the projector so if I hang it or lie it on a surface, it is either on top or underneath, not hanging out the end (which looked weird on the last design I did). In this way it looks more like an umbilical cord, as functionally these wires provide the same kind of support for the projector as an umbilical cord does for a baby.

Projector Diagrams - Internal Components

Projector Pix

Outside View


Split View (sans inside ribbing)

Moving into 4D

So I spent this week working with Steve on getting my projector body made in the rapid prototyping machine. I built a model in Maya and Steve rebuilt it in Rhino so it looks a hell of a lot better since I made mines w/ polygons and he used NURBS (smooth, baby!). It was fun watching him work in a different 3D program, and I learned a bit about the ID design process.

I'm also beginning to work in vvvv, which fortunately is pretty similar to Max/MSP/Jitter as it is patch-based. It's video capabilities are superior to Max so I hope implementing the video tracks won't be too difficult. To make it easier to program, I decided to limit the video loops to one per movie (a total of 10 films). I intend to edit select clips from one specific film, so each video loop has an non-linear edit of several scenes of the same film. The random access is linear, left to right (rotational direction), and the gesture is left to right, the up and down gesture would be zoom in and zoom out, and the speed (acceleration) affects the speed of playback for a certain clip.

I found a sample of a project someone did w/ gestures using VVVV... pretty darned cool.

Movietime

Movies movies movies has been my progress. I have 10 DVDs and watching one a night, logging the scenes I want to use. I realized that this part of my project is vital and that I needed to get my material sooner than later since it takes such a long time to log and digitize that amount of footage. Not that I am using a lot of footage, but I have to go through a lot of footage to find the clips I need.

On another note, its been great wrapping my head back around of what this project is really about, its is about the future and how we see the future. So, by watching all these films from different eras and styles it is having an interesting effect mentally measuring the feasibility of some of these futures. I'm working on mapping out the continuum of utopia (left) and dystopias (right) from these films, and focusing on purely the look of world as opposed to the reality of the film's view of utopia and dystopia (a perfect world that is actually bad eg Aeon Flux). The audio track will come from An Inconvenient Truth, contrasting present reality with future fantasy, literally clashing. I think that sensory experience will be interesting.

Steve is helping me to prototype my projector this weekend... woohoo!

And I finished my technical specs and systems diagram document. The main concern I came across was that the LED requires quite a bit of power so I don't know if a single 1 amp power supply will be enough since i'm also powering the LCD screen.

Project Update

things i have done:
- ordered my parts and received them (LEDs and sensors).
- rented the DVDs that will be the video sources my "futures" come from (I signed up for Green Cine, Netflix AND Blockbuster Total Access!).
- installed Windows and VVVV on my computer to see if I can use that to do the video mixing. haven't really gotten my hands too dirty w/ it. otherwise, I'll have to buy a copy of Max/MSP/Jitter. :(

things need to do:
- rebuild the projector
- get arduino working w/ the IMU 5 degrees of freedom sensor
- log videos
- edit videos
- program video output and interaction w/ sensor using VVVV (hopefully)
- order tent (waiting until i have a place to put it)
- sew panels and harness

yipes that is a lot to do in 5 weeks!!

Joe McKay Art Review

Joe McKay @ vertextlist

Overall I thought that this show was more than I was expecting, because it had a variety of pieces using the cell phone and in ways that were fun and unexpected. It had the sort of feeling of a child making toys out of ordinary objects (not all of them, but that sort of sensibility with the cell phones NOT being used as cell phones or all post modern and being about dead cell phones).

Graveyard was oddly surprising to me, because I have never looked at a cell phone as a tiny plot of land. It was like a miniature, intimate scene with no bodies or graves but I imagined what would be there. Somehow the ones using the screen were more "cellphony" because that is what we always look at on a cell phone. My favorite pieces was (and the most fun) the cell phone keyboard, because who doesn't like playing with a noisemaker? I just really enjoyed the interaction and trying to figure out the mapping patterns. Finally, the most intriguing piece was Sunset Solitaire. It was compelling in a very subtle way because it was not apparent what it was or did initially, and it has a beautiful aesthetic that is simple yet sublime.

Perhaps I liked the show a bit more than the rest of the class because I too have fantasized about "what can you do w/ a cell phone?" There was a creativity exercise I remember doing in elementary school that involved giving us a simple every day object, like a safety pin. Our task was to make a list of all the things you could do with the object. I always kicked ass at that exercise, because I came up longest and most creative list. I almost feel like Joe looked at his pile of phones and let his muse make something out of what most people would consider garbage. ANYWAY, I too have all my old phones, plugs and accessories from ALL of the phones I have ever owned. It's a bit nostalgic like old pairs of glasses and retainers.

Sidenote: Cell phones are very personal and intimate device, so I definitely like his use of a ubiquitous and contextual technology. I can't wait until I upgrade to an iPhone or a slick looking Chocolate because I seriously hate my phone (never before, so this one might go in the trash). I always wondered if someone ever invented a cell phone that could vibrate as well as a top quality vibrator? Pleasure on the go...?

Project Proposal: “FutureVision”

Project Abstract:

Users enter a closed, screened space and can interact with a “future projector” to choose and see different global futures, by pointing the device left, right or center. Users will see a continuum of video clips and images from contemporary media and science-fiction films, specifically those that deal with projecting a vision of the future regardless of time or technology (e.g. Metropolis, Waterworld, Mad Max films, Blade Runner, Minority Report). The media content will focus on themes of man vs. nature, utopia vs. dystopia, and the imagined future environment. The concept is that we tend to form our own ideas of the REAL future based on science fiction stories, in this case science fiction films, and synthesize them with current political, cultural, technological and sociological developments. This project allows users to explore those ideas and gain a better understanding of their own behavior and thinking relative to the future of the planet.

Project Goals:

My artistic goals include developing a non-linear narrative using video, still imagery and animation in an interactive format, using the context of dealing with space and users exploring that space in a natural way. My professional and personal goals are to future develop my technical proficiency using physical computing in my work, while developing the conceptual ideas that necessitate the use of interactive media and technology, and learning to use it effectively. My ideas largely deal with mass media, ubiquitous technology, nature and environment, all in the context of human interaction and behavior.

It is my desire that the work is accessible to anyone and everyone who cares about the immediate and distant future. I feel that because there is a heightened awareness of global warming and other environmental issues, people are anxious about their future and children's futures. It is through this piece that I hope they can assuage their fears and more concretely understand their relationship between present actions, and future realities, and are able to visualize them more easily using pop culture references, news and documentary media.

How will you measure the success of your project:

I like to think of what I am creating not unlike Scrooge's journey in time with the aid of the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future. Having a“visions of the future” coupled with “reflections of the present and past” I hope will somehow jar viewers into thinking seriously about their own choices relating to the environment and their own well-being.

Background/Need:

I don't necessarily believe what I am making to be “out of the box” or revelatory in the use of technology other than the fact that the interactive projector conveys a certain degree of simplicity in its attempt to map its interactivity directly to real-life interaction. The direction of the piece is nearly pedantic in its attempt to inspire, influence and change the way people think about themselves and the choices they make. In terms of artists I look to John Maeda in his approach to “simple” systems design and interaction, and to graphic designers like Milton Glaser and Stefan Sagmeister for simplicity in messaging, concept and visual immediacy.

Project Timeline:

WEEKS 1-4: Device Development – improving internal and external components of the interactive projector.
WEEKS 5-7: Interface Development and Content Development– mapping the system to software, and testing the device with the system.
WEEK 8: Content Incorporation and Installation Construction
WEEK 9: Testing and Debugging

Resources List:

HARDWARE: 5 degrees sensor (gyrometer + accelerometer), digital LCD, super bright LED, lenses, cooling fan, wires, device casing, small on/off switch
SOFTWARE: Max/MSP/Jitter, VVVV
INSTALLATION COMPONENTS: 10x10 tent, fabric for the projection screens/walls, power cables, data cables, RCA cables
PEOPLE: Kenzan or Steve (some ID person) to assist with building external casing for the projector, assistance and guidance with programming the interactive components for video compositing and mixing

5 beautiful things

When I hear the word "aesthetics", I think beauty. A simplified definition of aesthetics:

the study of the mind and emotions in relation to the sense of beauty

I guess I'm not too far off in thinking about 5 ordinary things that I love because they are beautiful, the pure goodness of the design and form. It's hard not to refer to things like my iPod, my couch, my favorite vase etc. since these things a "designed" with a capital D.

1) MTA Subway Map - Ok, so this is technically designed by someone, but it actually is nice looking! I keep one posted on the fridge for easy access (w/ cute magnets) and of course you come across them in every NYC subway station.

2) Macintosh Performa 200 - I have one in our bedroom, just cuz like the way it looks. I don't even use it, except as a bookend.

3) IKEA spoon - It's inexpensive and has clean lines, and the form of the spoon is well balanced. It lives in our kitchen and used for eating spoony type meals. We could have registered for fancier flatware set, but most are damn ugly.

4) POM Tea container - It's the packaging that comes with POM flavored teas, and I liked the container so much we kept it and use the container as a water glass.

5) Xmas Target Gift Card - It's soo cute I couldn't throw it away after it was used up. There is a little button you can press and there are teeny LEDs that blink and light up the tree. It's taped to my work wall along w/ magazine tears, postcards, gallery fliers, sketches and interesting food packaging.

the new color of summer

So I am on summer break, returned from my wonderful vacation to Japan. I wished I could have stayed longer. I saw some art while I was there and discovered a few artists whose work resonated with me. I'm particularly interested in the orchestral work of Toru Takemitsu. I feel like his music goes with some of the images I have been making recently. I also saw some artwork that eerily looks like the piece I just completed, but in painting form. I can't seem to find the artist's name.

Anyway, that got me thinking that maybe I should spend time in Japan working on art and making stuff. I feel like I could learn a lot from the culture and the ways of working that Japanese artists, musicians and architects think about space, technology and structure. So I am actually conceiving of the crazy idea of studying Japanese during my normal school year and getting proficient enough to do an internship or have a job Summer 2008.

That brings me back to my thesis and my focus. At the moment, I am still interested in 3D visualization, and I am so attracted to flashy, bright things I get distracted for a wee bit. I am considering continuing my work on the interactive, digital projector, seeing that I received quite a good response from the show I had at the end of the year. I also am attached to my wand/conducting stick idea but I feel like I need more time to develop that idea fully. So, in the time I have to finish school I can tackle a doable project. I only have a year and I am still learning sooo much!

Perhaps the next step is having the 3D world have generative, interactive movement so its not so static. I suppose I'll have to rework my projector into something more solid and clear, but I do think its not impossible. I think its an idea worth delving into. I just need to get more comfortable with the technology (Maya, Director) and get to the point that I can really tweak and test.

The Enchanted Forest

The Enchanted Forest is an interactive installation that creates the illusion of walking into a book and translating the experience of falling into the world of the book and navigating through mishmash of multicultural fairy tale and folk tales as the female protagonist of the story. The narrative of the heroine against all odds is archetypal and fragmented, the objects are symbolic to represent the key elements of a story, and the visual style is slightly off-kilter, surreal and dreamlike to evoke a state of disorientation, fantasy and delusion.

The viewer enters a room where they pick up a “magic flashlight,” a portable, hand-held digital video projector with a 3-axis accelerometer inside of it. When the viewer turns it on, the magic flashlight will project a beam of light on the surface of a sparsely illustrated wall. The video projection changes depending upon the direction and orientation of the magic flashlight to the wall. The experience of using the magic flashlight is similar to how a normal flashlight works; it illuminates a dark space, while the magic flashlight illuminates AND reveals hidden elements of the black and white drawings on surface of the walls. The user would hear audio cues that they have “found” something and then click the button on the flashlight to access the object.

The desired user experience would be to have the user explore the space with the magic flashlight and try to find all of the hidden objects, in an attempt to piece together the narrative. Thus the initial engagement of the interactive device draws the user in, while the time spent “egg hunting” pays off with richer content. Each user would have a different experience since the objects themselves would change at random (every time a new user interacts with the magic flashlight, the system would reset and repopulate the world with new objects).

The environment is based loosely on that of a mythical forest, a place were magical creatures live, where characters get lost, and where truths are discovered. In nearly all cultures, the forest is not only a familiar locale in which real people lived in and nearby, but a place that embodies the darker side of humanity. I am interested in exploring those dark, unfathomable places that reside in our subconscious by bringing viewers to a familiar jumping off-point – back to their childhood – where they can remember what it was like to believe in the improbable, nonsensical and unreal.

The overall narrative structure of the story would follow the same flow, as many stories have interchangeable elements that serve similar purposes in a given story. The story itself is highly subjective and inferred by the viewer... there is no specific order that things occur in. The story is created in discrete parts, and is told through the suggested relationships between the objects the user discovers, as an archaeologist forms his or her own narrative based on the artifacts uncovered at a dig site. Additionally, the mythology of fairy tales will hopefully be familiar to most audiences and the story can be understood (on a low level) as a morality tale gone awry.

Progress!

So it has been a fruitful past couple of days... Thursday I got my accelerometer working (I had used the wrong 3.3V regulator datasheet and hooked it up wrong) and Friday I spent the whole day getting the projector part working. I had to rewire and resauter since the original wires were brittle and breaking! Once I got everything hooked up, it was a great feeling... The resolution was better than expected and the brightness factor seems to be OK since I replaced the original projector bulb w/ a extra bright Xenon bulb. I hooked it up to a security camera to get video input and check the image quality.

Here are some pics:





Next step is to get the projector into a temporary housing made from foam core so I don't have to hold all the parts to see a projection. I just picked some up from Pearl Paint today. This weekend, I am programming the interactivity in Director to work with the accelerometer.

Loveliness in its forms

I forgot to post my diagram from yesterday... here it is, thought I am changing it:




Ok, so I am somewhat frustrated. I FINALLY have all my parts today and I got my Arduino mini working and wired up the board, added the 3.3 V voltage regulator and got some numbers out of the Serial port... but they are all zeros!! Eh! I don't know why I am not getting anything out of my accelerometer. Here is a pic:



Anyway, I am going to bug Vida tomorrow and figure out what's going on... I can't tell if its a power issue or if my sauter job was insufficient. My money is on power!

A long time coming

So I have been bad about blogging. Not that I haven't been working on my projects... quite the contrary. I have been reading, researching, ewindowshopping for parts, and getting better at Arduino and wiring the breadboard. It is starting to all make sense to me!

I should really post a picture of Darwin w/ skin. He is pretty cute. I feel bad for not documenting that project better. :(

My final project will be a video projector, but not any projector, but one that can change the image based on the orientation of the projector using an accelerometer. I am Wii obsessed, especially after beating Zelda. Woohoo! I need to find the descriptive text I originally wrote for the project. However, the final will be different after talking about my project in class. I will have to simplify and adjust my original idea, but I really really really don't want to attach a potentiometer to the projector. Bleah!

Anyway, I have my work cut out for me. I will try to be better about blogging from here on out!!

Darwin the Slug

So I made a little critter I call Darwin the Slug. Here he is in his naked glory.

He was a bit jumpy in class, but hopefully with the programming I'm adding and the potentiometer to control his energy he'll be a bit more interesting. My goal is to be able to control his "mood" from being extremely slow and apathetic to happy to scared and frenetic. Of course, I'm adding some skin to Darwin, so he looks more like a slug and the stuffing will weigh him down a bit... I hope it doesn't cause any extra problems.

Thesis dreams

No joke, I literally had a dream about what I want to do for my thesis. Several ideas have been floating around my noggin, but there wasn't one that I really was interested in. I was in the middle of reading a book called "The Phantom Tollbooth". It's a wonderful children's novel about a boy who is bored and finds a portal to another world... I highly recommend to anyone who likes getting their imagination on! A friend randomly loaned it to me... at any rate, I fell asleep while reading this book and I had a dream where the book left off... it had a character named Chroma conducting this 1,000 piece orchestra in order to create a sunrise. I can't really describe the dream except that it was incredibly beautiful, the music and the visuals of seeing these many players creating this moment in time. The closest thing I could describe it as being similar to is the Northern Lights.

So for the physical computing component, I am interested in making some conducting gloves. I did a bit of research on this topic, and many people have done variations on the idea of gesture recognition and conducting music, visuals, virtual orchestras, etc. However, I believe my direction is unique in that I want to combine video tracking with sensors to accentuate the movements and clearly capture every little movement. I'm not speaking broad gestures... I myself have tried conducting and played the alto saxophone in concert band so I know that its not just about keeping time and looking dramatic on a stage. Every conductor has a distinct style and I thought it would be interesting to visually see the difference in their style not reacting to the sonic information, but the actual movements of a practiced conductor.

Therefore, someone who for example does not have experience in conducting would not be able to use my device... which is OK by me because I much rather prefer to see professionals performing live art for me. I feel that my role as an artist is to interpret the score visually, and allow variation upon how the conductor interprets the score musically, thus perform the visual score I create to go with the musical one. I have some experience designing and running lights for theater, so I understand how live performance is enhanced and fluid with some visual flow of light and in this case video projection.

At any rate, it goes nicely along with my first project using gloves and I think if I do this I'll probably make the gloves from scratch... did I mention I've tried my hand at designing and constructing costumes? I hope to combine my device with Max/MSP/Jitter and design a rough prototype of hand gestures controlling a multisource video feed.

Oh, and I'm sooo stoked that NIME will be hosted in New York this year in June... what luck! :)

Shopping for not shoes can be fun

So this past weekend I spent a good deal of time shopping around Manhattan for goodies for my electronics projects. I fortunately was able to find the mysterious electronics store on Canal Street, a good Radio Shack and several fabric stores selling fabric with metal threads. It's a funny thing to ask them "do you carry conductive fabrics?" then rephrasing with "do you have fabric with REAL metal threads in them?" as there are many kinds of metallic fabrics with little to no metal in them. I should have brought my multimeter with me, but I forgot. Oh well... the best samples appear to be from Mood, made famous by Project Runway. I also found some interesting wire-mesh like material from NY Elegant Fabrics, which specializes in theatrical fabrics. And I was able to source some lame (from fencing gear) through the dept chair Peter Patchen, who happens to be an avid fencer.

Anyway, my original idea for my project was supposed to be a slug with legs, kind of tadpolish in form. However, this is quite difficult to achieve especially in a week and with limited familiarity with creation of such a creature. I found a gear set and am using a smaller motor, so I have moving limbs that don't really propel the creature anywhere. I wanted it to have a single eye (as the on-off switch), but I'm having trouble with the construction. And the electronics part is random at best... I don't know always why certain things work, it becomes a matter of trial and error. Very frustrating!

two brilliant ideas

I reread my post about fencing and I decided to Google some fencing sites... I think I may be able to salvage old lames (fencing gear) to use for my glove project!! Apparently at some point the wire matrix doesn't work and they can't fix it no more so they have to throw it away! I guess I am excited because I am really much into the idea of not buying parts and recycling and reusing. What can I say, I am a green girl... i hate to throw things away. I have a whole new appreciation for junk! And I am trying out this thing where I don't spend spend spend. Although I will admit to lusting after the iPhone. Neat.

The other idea I had is that if I were a kid using this, there is an unfair advantage to people with bigger hands. Wouldn't it be cool and funny if the thumbs were extended? Like Uma's mutant extended thumb in Even Cowgirl's Get the Blues. Sorry I couldn't find a photo of it. Then it would be completely fair for those of us with short thumbs.

Right Hand Left Foot

So I went out shopping for some conductive thread, which someone in class suggested that I use. Unfortunately, all the resources I could find required me to order them online which I would not get in time for the next class. So, I called up my friend who has worked in theatre making costumes to see if she might be able to direct me to a store that might have some. I heard that Mood had some according to one website, but she said they carry mostly fabric and not notions. She referred me to a place that specializes in metallic fibers and threads. I was able to procure some sample threads to test, but I don't think they are conductive enough... I may just have to buy the stuff at Lame Saver. Hmmm. I also shopped at a few jewerly-making supply shops since they have wires and threads... a bit pricey though.

First Hand always the Right Hand

Our assignment was to create a game. I was inspired to do something like fencing seeing that they use electricity to determine who wins. If you aren't familiar with fencing, the entire hit area on their armor is metal, and the rapier is wired to the buzzer machine, and there is actually some guy winding up the wire as the go down this runway which is grounded. So I tried to think of a similar game but on a smaller level... and I recalled a childhood game a frequently lost due to my small hands (and short thumbs)... thumb war!

So my first project game a electronic thumb war game (some call it thumb wrestling)... you know, "1,2,3,4 I declare a thumb war!" I bought a pair of men's gardening gloves with grips and added on my own custom built sensors. It was challenging to create a sensor that works really well. I ended up wrapping foil around some sliced up erasers. I think if I made a real prototype, I would probably use fabric that conducts electricity, but i'll worry about that later.

Intrestingly enough, there exists a TV show on Nick on thumb wars.

Catching a wave

So I am pretty much a newbie to electronics. I went out and bought an electronics kit from Radio Shack, w/ workbooks by some dude name Forest III Nims to ramp up on my knowledge. Interesting that his workbook is all written by hand! However, I do have some inborn skills with things that have to do with electricity and wires and power tools, so I hope that figuring out this stuff won't be too hard.

My goal is to learn about physical computing, electronics, and learn how to build my own interfaces. I am frankly surprised that our main mode of interfacing with computers remains to be the mouse and keyboard. Additionally, I find that the disconnect that most people have between a game console, cellphone, VOD boxes (like TiVo) and many other devices that have microprocessors in them aren't viewed as "scary technology" while the computer in its screen, keyboard and mouse state are.

So I am embarking on this path of Arduino boards, wires and powersupply! Yay!