Row House Cinema Final Prototype

The final prototype delivered for this class used two of the custom LED driver boards with 30 small, white LEDs. The boards were connected to the RaspberryPi running a simple openFrameworks application. The application uses an early version of a library I'm working on for the PCA9685 PWM chip, which is the  center of the LED driver boards.
The video above shows the prototype running through a generative program based on 2d Perlin Noise. I'll be using this prototype to dial in the correct noise/video ratio for the final installation in the marquee.
The openFrameworks code, as well as the in-progress PCA9685 C++/raspberryPi library can be found HERE.

Major thanks to Dale Clifford, Zack Jacobson-Weaver, Eric Brockmeyer, Ali Momeni and Tom (the person who posted the RaspberryPi i2c code I needed on stackoverflow).

Whisker V4: Jake M.

The latest version of the whisker replaced the wood whiskers with stronger, metal whiskers. The new material doesn't vibrate as much as wood, nor does it provide as much texture, therefore limiting the number of sounds it can provide.
The whisker's code was also modified to send each whisker's vibration value back to the computer. The values are then interpreted into different sounds using max/msp.
When interacting with the object, most users needed to be reassured that it was ok to touch it. Only a few users actually experimented with different touch techniques (rubbing, pushing, etc.).  Most users kept to apprehensive taps. A final version of this piece might be made only out of wood.  Wood box, wood whiskers.

Materials:

• acrylic box
• steel rods
• arduino
• piezo mics
• 1mOhm resistors
• usb cable

Code:

• arduino code for sending serial string of whisker readings.
• max/msp code for reading serial string and making sounds

LookingOut 4: Jake M.

Project 1: Postal Works

Both of my projects this time around are by Tim Knowles. This piece is centered on a modified cardboard postal service package that integrates a camera, gps, microphone and timing circuitry. Knowles sent the box away and recorded the box's journey.

Project 2: Tree Drawings

Here Knowles attaches pens to the branches of trees, positions a piece of paper on an easel within reach of the pen, and lets the tree's movement do its work. The resulting image is beautiful because it looks so foreign. It would be difficult for a person to recreate the tree's movement.

Whisker V3: Jake Marsico

The third iteration of the whisker project brings back the solid whisker mounting from v1. It also retains the angular whisker orientation from v2. This allows the whiskers to interact with one another based on a single "pluck" from a user.  This version also hides the electronics from the user, which adds a level of mystery to its purpose and mechanics.
Development of the whisker box continues to move towards instrument. In future iterations, I hope to make this a playable unit with line-level audio output. 

LookingOut 3: Jake

Project 1: Cell Phone Disco by Informationlab

Located in an alleyway in Pittsburgh and commissioned by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Cell Phone Disco uses an large array of LEDs to visualize mobile phone traffic nearby.  The piece serves as a reminder that we're constantly surrounded by energy that we can't sense ourselves. It acts as a window to an unseen world.

Project 2: Ocean Mirror with Fragments by Jim Campbell

Jim Campbell uses a dense array of LEDs behind custom glass blocks to create a heavily diffused, low resolution video display. Campbell is known for using different forms of de-ressing and diffusion to create abstractness.  The resulting visuals show familiar patterns that can't be immediately placed.
Technically, the piece is very interesting to me.  Diffusing LEDs is very tricky, and Campbell has been doing it well for a long time.  Compared to incandescents, LEDs are cheap enough to control a very large number of them for  not too much money.

Whisker Eval

Evaluation of Ayo, Wanfang, Liang's Whisker Buddy
According to the creators, this is to be one of a series of small creatures that can interact with each other, perhaps for educational purposes. The first iteration of the creature was made from paper, had springs for legs and appeared light, playful and full of energy; even when it wasn't moving.

The second iteration was made out of orange acrylic and included lights and electronics. Its construction was high quality and the team's documentation was clean.  However, by changing materials and form, the object lost its playfulness and lightness. Even though the material was transparent and physically light, it appeared heavy and static.

Adding electronics added to the object's new heaviness and complexity. Part of the first iteration's lightness could be attributed to its simple design. Maybe it doesn't need electronics at all. Maybe a requirement for electronics for this piece (light or sound) is that it doesn't detract from it's original simplicity.


Evaluation of My Whisker
This latest iteration added audio feedback by mapping audio frequency to what the whiskers were sensing. It also moved the whiskers off the base and let them float in the air, suspended by wires.
The new mounting system was meant to add lightness to the object.  We realized, however, that one of the fundamental features of the earlier version was the whisker's ability to resonate and the user's ability to "play" the whisker.
The object still lacks a clear narrative (is it an instrument? is it a security device, etc.). By combining the new audio feedback with the previous 'playability' and tactile feedback, the whisker device could come closer to an instrument, or something that could be 'played'.
The technology from the first iteration didn't change much and continues to serve the purpose of tangible interaction and electronic feedback. I don't think that will change in future iteration.

Whiskers V2: Jake M.

This second iteration of the whisker included aural feedback, mobile power (batter) and a new whisker configuration. The primary critique of this new version was that the new 'floating' whisker design lost the 'playability' of the previous version. 

Future iterations will focus on improving the feel of what is now becoming an instrument of sorts. The whiskers will go back to being fixed to the body. In fact, the body will change to promote a more enjoyable trigger movement when users activate the whisker.

Another idea is to increase the 'open electronics' feel of the device by making the tangle of connection wires larger and more chaotic. Ideally the wires themselves would become 'playable'.

Purchase: Surplus Electronics

These links come from Michael Johnson, a Pittsburgh artist that works with circuit bending and music. He teaches a series of circuit buildingand analog sound synthesis workshops at Pittsburgh Center for the Arts.

From Michael:

Here are a few good dealers in surplus electronics (many more to be found via 
web search). Surplus rarely means “used”. Usually surplus dealers sell overstock 
from manufacturers at significant savings over the “new parts” distributors (like 
Mouser Electronics, and Digi-key Electronics—two of the biggest. Both good, but 
no deals from them):

http://www.elexp.com/index.htm

http://www.allelectronics.com

http://shop.vetcosurplus.com
http://www.goldmine-elec.com
http://www.hosfelt.com

LookingOut2: Jake

Project 1: eCLOUD
by Aaron Koblin, Nik Hafermaas, Dan Goods

Using liquid crystal panels, Processing and real-time weather data, the team built a virtual cloud that visualized current weather conditions in several cities around the world. At first glance, the piece looks like static sculpture. If visitors pay attention, they start to notice the changing opacity of the hanging glass panels.
A display kiosk nearby shows a 3d animation of the entire piece, along with the weather data thats driving the current visualization. One of the reasons the piece works so well is its location in the San Jose airport; travelers seem to always be concerned with weather conditions.


Project 2: The Bay Lights
by Leo Villareal

This is a beautiful example of computation and physical output at a very large scale. The artist lined each cable of the Bay Bridge in San Francisco with individually addressed LED strips.  He then wrote software that generates natural looking patterns across the thousands of LEDs. Although it's not directly interactive, the natural movements of the lights invites viewers to think about technology in new ways; something that is important for a tech-obsessed culture the Bay Area.

LookingOut 1: Jake M

Project 1: Pulse Room (2010)

Rafael Lozano Hemmer

Lozano-Hemmer is a master of communal interactive pieces. Many of his pieces, like this one, work best when many visitors interact with it. He develops scenarios that allow the viewers to contribute. When the viewer sees his/her pulse represented in a pulsing light, they can say "look, that's me." They can then compare their pulse with the pulse of others and observe how hundreds of pulses look interacting with each other. The whole piece relies on community and is a metaphor for community. 

The technology: 

pulse sensor

software

microcontroller

relays

incandescent lights 

Project 2: exTouch

MIT's Tangible Media Group

Follow the link above to see the video. This project allows users to control a robot by changing it's destination location on an ipad. I like the idea of creating a virtual destination for an object, and having the physical object move towards it. This project takes advantage of the ipad's mobility and video capability. It's an incredible exercise in interfacing physical/virtual worlds.