Diego's ITP Projects

This is a multi-user beat sequencer created by Molly and I. Currently there are 3 parts (kick drum, snare, and HH). Created in Openframeworks. I’m hoping to do some more on screen user testing until wednesday to improve the graphics and the sound. Apparently the high hat sound sucks, and i agree. it sucks.

So the sequencer  is giving us some beats:

Ouroboros from diego rioja on Vimeo.

This is the first working version of the interface.  Molly and I are working on sound design, and graphics. The table interaction will be the next immediate step to complete the final version for the midterm.

Molly and I worked  on this sequencer with the help of Jared, Matt, and Matt R.

This is a great ted talk on television and the web.

The spatial group: Molly, Calli, ChiKa, Allison, Paul, Rune, Nik, Leo, Tainwei, and I (nicknames soon to come) met today to test the hardware set up of our midterm project. We secured a sheet of white crafting paper between the wall and a table for this purpose. The maximum projection size was around 30″ from 29″ high – projector length. We selected the best projector with the better throw distance. We also tested an IR lamp, IR filter, and logitech camera with this set up. We will be doing more formal tests on Sunday with our final set up, which will be a 45″ round glass surface with a wooden frame. We realized that we will either need to find a projector with a better throw distance, raise the table about a foot, or use magic to have a larger projection for our table set up.

Here is the projector we are using for our DI (diffused illumination)  set up:
View Sonic PJ558D
2500 ANSI
2000:1
1.64 – 1.97 Throw ratio
1280×1024 Pixels
4:3 (XGA)
3.9 – 32.8 Throw distance.

Camera = ps3 or the firewire eye.

First surface mirror

Options to make the projection bigger:

1. raise the table for desired projection size
2. request for the dept. to buy another projector with a short throw distance. (Sanyo PLC-XL50
Ultra-Short Throw XGA Projector)
3. more than one mirror
4. black magic

(Notes and pics thanks to Molly, and the team.)

Here we have the spatial media bear, 8 feet tall, 400 pounds, but quite lonely. He lives in the background subtraction forest were he is king. He summons the bgS algo to seek the meaning of his existence. The threshold is at 20, the bgS algo detects who he is, but the SMD wonders: “Why am I here?” The algorithm can only offer him limited existential meaning, and so the SMD will have to figure out new methods of detection.

The SMB has moved location for this homework assignment. He was bored of the background subtraction forest, so he travel to Madrid in search of new adventures, where he found a new friend. The SMB met the upside down elephant, decided to team up to find their meaning in this world. The UDE showed him the royal court yard of the bound box, the bear was impressed with the architecture and vision of these past Spanish kings. The SMB summoned the background subtraction algorithm as he wanted to test his presence, he didn’t want to be removed from said beauty, threshold was favorable to the team. The bgS algo defined both friends with much precision, but they encountered that the bound box wasn’t able to see them for what they were. Disappointed, the team now will try to define a better margin for the bB algo. “Perhaps a new algorithm we must seek”, the SMB said, and so they go on to find new algorithms, for better detection.

We have finally decided to work with L shapes and genetic algorithms. Oswaldo first suggested to look at a leaf and its stem structure. Victor Viña then reiterated the use of nature’s visual geometrical complexity and later proposed to the group different metaphors and their particular affordances. Much like how a snow flake, we are hoping this digital garden to have this aesthetic. The metaphor for the physical aspect of it is the form of a bird feeder, so people can come up talk, add seeds, and birds can come and eat. This has been a great workshop for conceptual thinking, development and collaborating. 

Properties Collective

temperature, sound, wind, humidity, light, pollution

Properties of Plans

Specie, color, shape, oscillations

Final Metaphor

The physical installation is a bird feeder/sanctuary were people can contribute seeds for birds to come and feed. The bird feeder will try to capture presence through sound. A microphone will be used for the installation in the form of a baby monitor (Victor Viña’s suggestion), which we all agree to use. The receiver will be connected to a main computer inside through the 1/8″ plug. Using Minim we’ll detect levels and frequencies that will trigger events on the screen.

Wind will trigger Oscillations

Seeds will be seeds

Conversations (length) will trigger growth

Birds can trigger coloring through FFT

We can also think of different patterns of evolution over time. Track loud noises and ambient noises.

First Model Diagram (subject to change)

oh yea we are buying a 90e baby monitor and we’ll hack the receivers’ speaker to transform it into an 1/8″ plug.

Plan B-camera

We are worried that we may not be able to buy a baby monitor due to the expense, and we will not have time to build a xbee arduino prototype. If this does not materialize, then the camera can be the best solution. A physical object will still be in place, but the camera will track the installation area and realizing the metaphors this way:

presence = seed planting

movement = growth

people oscillate = plant oscillates 

skin, wardrobe = color avg.

Research

Vocal Frequency

Finches playing the guitar

baby monitor

Diego & Molly

SETTING:
Train Station

CONCEPT:
Social beat maker with informative train announcements

DESCRIPTION:
A collaborative musical installation set within a train station. The project offers people a way to entertain themselves and create social interactions, all while they wait for the arrival of a person or the departure of a train. The sequencer reflects the nature of the train station, in the idea of eternal return within the hub: arrivals, departures, the marking of time and the beat of people moving through the space. The physical design will be a circular table, ringed by a bench, to allow for sitting, kneeling or for children to stand on the bench and reach the table. Projected on the surface will be a sequencer made of rings, circular and interlocking elements. Some of the sounds and visuals will be loosely inspired by the trains that move in and out of the station. The backgrounds will be watery, the visual elements will appear to rise up from the depths towards the surface. The water elements also reflect the ideas of travel and return. Current train announcements will animate across the surface of the table, so that happily involved users will not miss their trains.

I chose to work on this project because of the participatory aspect that is need to take care of this “virtual garden” with mobile and physical computing as part of the interface. The project aims to have web and screen precedence. Essentially the project will be a community based digital garden.

The project has many channels of input, from the web, to a physical interface on site. The concept is to nurture this digital garden as you would your own. Why? because plants bring life to any environment parks or bedrooms.

Nature is beautiful, we admire because of it’s compelling enough for us to wonder how and why it came to be. When we ask how? we realize that nature itself is a process that it is most beautiful when it’s complex. Geometric patterns, saturated colors, fluid motions are all aspects of nature’s algorithm. A flower or a plan is a manifestation of nature we admire, but sometimes take for granted on a daily basis. Some flower plans are more interesting than others, this is due to their complexity.

Here is some initial brainstorming by: Ramyah, Mustafa, and I.

PhysComp
—————–
how to take care of a plant? what are the needs of a plant?

add water : “watering can” (action, physical, engaging) tech: accelerometer.

love: “affection” “talking” “company” (passive, presence) tech: capacitance, microphones, camera

ambient: oxygen: “???” / sun: “light” tech: photocell

input:

direct vs. indirect
conscious vs. unconscious
active vs. passive

mobile/smart phone

voice based: talk to the garden.

simple: text based service. text a keyword like “water” “love” “sun” “o2″

smart/gestural: “give” flick of multitouch
sensor: accelerometer shake, tilt (watering can)

Space
concrete, graffiti, balconies, benches.

balconies are nice.

This comes to mind: Concept, context, content (c^3 ).

What’s the concept, context content of this project? We shall see.

Pics of the space:

The “taller” kicked off with a talk from C.E.B. Reas about form and process, that encompasses different media. Basic, simple forms that lead to far more complex displays, primitives (like periodic table),  synthetic and the natural we the main areas he discussed about his work.

“Process 4. A rectangular surface filled with varying sizes of Element 1. Draw a line from the centers of elements that are touching. Set the value of the shortes possible line to black and the longest to white, with grey in between.”

The modularity of his process across different media is the amazing part. From processing sketches to print, 3d relief sculpture, and installations the results are surprisingly in tune with each other.

Victor’s presentation encompassed craft as a concept across high tech, low tech, experience, education level, and different social/economic levels. From high tech to low tech, everything relates to this process. Grad students, musicians, kids in india, the “resourceful” people in colombia. 

Erkki Huhtamo gave a talk on the history of “tall media” and how it has transformed from billboards, to projections, to LED facades. I asked him what did he thought of these LED screens on buses and how the context of the space has changed from the public to the personal.

Jordi Claramonte talked about social activism and art.

Here is the big facade:

Stand by is the project. Hoping to collaborate, conceptualize, and think about physical computing and mobile technology for the interaction.

The image above will take you to the pdf.

Description:

a smart home cooking interface designed for amateur chefs to personalize meals as well as monitor and record their preparation. The system’s interface is displayed by overhead projectors and the interaction is tracked by overhead cameras. Inspired by the idea of a hibachi chef and a DJ, the system aims to create a fun culinary experience combining spectacle and personality. According to the ingredients selected by the chef, the system generates meal suggestions from a networked recipe database. A monitoring system will guide the chef through the cooking process with visual and audio alerts. Meta-data will be stored in the system to catalog the type of meal by ingredients, time, date, and number of guests. The graphic below shows were the main interface is located on the left side of the chef, and the ingredients are on the right side, which is reminiscent of a turntable set up. The chef simply touches the main interface to activate the system which has three stages: Initializing, cooking, presentation. During the Initializing stage ingredient detection, guest selection, and meal suggestion are made to kick off the experience. While cooking the chef is guided through food preparation and cooking at a reasonable pace. Serving the meal is the last step and presentation is key, having said that the system will suggest how the meal should look before you serve it to complete the experience. The process is done, data has been gathered, and so truly the last step is eating a great meal!

Smrt Grill is a home cooking system created for dedicated hosts that enjoy having guests for a social, culinary experience. Based on a Hibachi grill and a turntable, the system uses an overhead tracking system to detect interface interaction and the cooking process . According to the selection ingredients, Smrt Grill generates personalized cooking suggestions according to recipes gathered from a recipes database. A monitoring system, with the available technology, will aid hosts to cook a perfect meal. The system stores all the meta data of the process, in means to improve or repeat the magic of this meal. The example below describes how a chicken salad meal would begin to be prepared. After turning the system on, ingredient detection is the first step. After a meal suggestion has been accepted, and the guided cooking experience is finalized, the meal is served for proper enjoyment.

BKPK is a parking community that aims to reduce the woes of parking around the Brooklyn Hights area. Mike Kelberman and I worked on the concept and website, which aims to crowd source parking restrictions. Use this image above to link to the android web app. Thanks to Si Cho for the graphics!