Hello World

These abstract lines and shapes were created by programming code based on the creative approach and certain data which we recorded the ways of greeting from five persons who are from different countries - such as Denmark, India, Italy, Korea and USA. They were drawn in different colours and shapes depending on not only greeting data but also the gravity physics functions. I find it intriguing to explore the use of concrete data to create abstract drawing as well as paying with programming as a creative tool. Used program : Processing, Photoshop.

The new Nintendo 3DS

The new Nintendo 3DS is due to be released in the next year. Using the same type of technology as Boffswana do in a previous post, Nintendo have managed to incorporate a 3D element into their new console. It will be capable of producing 3D graphics, without the need for 3D glasses. They will also have to include a sensor in it to track users movements completely. This is just a sneak peek at one of its uses.



Not much information has been provided, but here is what has been explicitly stated, via Nintendo's press release:

1. A new handheld, called the Nintendo 3DS, will be released sometime between April 2010 - March 2011.


2. Nintendo 3DS will produce 3D graphics, no glasses necessary.


3. Nintendo 3DS will be backwards compatible with the entire line of Nintendo DS products.


4. It will be revealed at the Los Angeles E3 trade show this coming June.

The World's Deepest Bin

To throw rubbish in the bin instead of onto the floor shouldn’t really be so hard. Many people still fail to do so. Can we get more people to throw rubbish into the bin, rather than onto the ground, by making it fun to do?

The Fun Theory is an initiative started by Volkswagen. They aim to solve common problems using simple Multimedia solutions. In this example they have rigged a bin with a set of speakers and a simple sound effect of something falling from a long distance. This solution seemed to be rather effective in the area it was collecting almost 41kg more rubbish than the nearest bin.

Scratch Mat

Most people enter a building without cleaning their shoes, often resulting in dirt all over the floor.
Could this nuisance be removed by making the activity fun to do?

This crowd were able to rig a welcome mat to work as a turntable of sorts. By wiping their feet on the mat as they enter, it recreates the circumstances as thoough someone were scratching on a record.

This is a fun and interactive way to tackle a common proble using the digital arts.

funtheory

thefuntheory.com is a website setup by Volkswagon. They aim to solve common problems using simple multimedia solutions. There is nothing to complicated on this site and nothing I really feel is out of my own capablities.

They have have created a wide number of pieces such as the piano stairs which increased the number of people who used the stairs compared to an escalator by almost two thirds.



They propose a vending machine that doubles as a slot machine for empty cans to encourage recycling.



A pinball machine that uses a small excercise machine to operate the paddles within. All in an attempt to make exercising more fun.





This is a site which I found really interesting because the content is very heavily idea based with some really clever implementations of some fun concepts

Chritmas Lighting Installation

This is an installation created by Michael Pendry along with Siemens in Munich. It is meant to replicate the star on the eve of Christmas. It was lit above the city of Munich at the Northern gateway.

He fastened 9,000 high powered LED's to a wind turbine and used almost 400 metres of cable, the same length as the height of the cable. The project was about the promotion of renewable energy to run the LED's used only the same amount of energy as boiling a kettle would.



Because of the wind turbine’s prominent location next to the A9 autobahn – a main traffic artery not far from the airport and used by well over 150,000 motorists a day – it was considered to be ideal for the lighting installation from the very beginning.

Multi Touch

I've been looking into Multi touch technology lately and found some of it really interesting. So far I've seen how to create my own multi touch surface using two different methods on instructables.com but some of the most interesting things that I have seen so far are the practical implementations of it.

This is a really useful piece of Microsoft Presentation software which is well worth a download at http://www.so-touch.com

Really Cool Robots

The Personal Robots group presents a scenario demonstrating mixed-initiative human-robot teaming for disaster response.

This is a really cool video of a robot using what I think is an Arduino. I don't really know much just think it's pretty class using a Flash like interface to control a robot.


Well Worth a look!

Project Stuff

Just looking for a place to put up a couple of links regarding my project ideas.

Interactive storybook

This is another type of example where the user reads a story first then goes on to play a game concerning the previous story
Clifford

This one has sound effects as well
Captain Pugwash

Open Frameworks Project

Portrait Machine is an interactive photography installation that visualizes the connections between visitors. It makes these connections based on a number of features, such as clothing choice, hair color, facial expression, and composition within the frame. It presents both similarities and differences in these characteristics, remdining us of our connectedness and uniqueness, creating strong visual patterns and playful juxtapositions.
By placing a camera above the picture frame(TV screen), and openframeworks, this is able to pick up motion within the frame. Then using this knowledge the camera takes picture and using similarities between the various pictures is able to pick the ones that will go well together.

Really Cool Photo Lighting Effect

This is a group called Lichtaktor who use torches and lights to create some really interesting effects in their photographs and videos. Their aim is to explore all aspects of lightwriting and to develop it further. The Lichtfaktor crew intentionally uses the entire space in which a particular work is produced and integrates it into their photos and animations in such a way that it's not just a backdrop but part of the work itself.

They uses all sorts of lights from torches to bicycle lights to LED lights, anything that is mobile. They then set up thier cameras on tripods, set the exposure for about 10-30 secs and the ISO to 100. To ensure the area they are shooting is dark enough they use an nd filter on their camera also.

This is my favourite of my entries so far and fully intend on making my own attempt at doing something just like this.

More OSC

is a video showing how you can use the app Mrmr for VJing. Mrmr is an app that “Lets DJ’s and VJ’s mix audio and video directly from their iPhone.” It pretty much allows you to wirelessly control and mix audio/video based on the interfaces you create in the app…making it perfect for VJingMrmr Osc is a free app used to control the output of the screen. In this example the author has created a multi user VJ tool where the users control the output of the screen using Mrmr on their iPhones. He then went onto set it up in a real nightclub allowing the customers of the club to affect the visuals supplied behind the DJ.

Cool Arduino and OSC project

In this article the author describes how he was able to create a lighting rig out of an Arduino. The code he uses for it seems to be pretty basic but has rather powerful actions, what makes this example more interesting than the others I've come across is that it can be controlled using OSC. With an application on your iPhone or iTouch, you are able to change the colour of the lights using sliders supplied by the iPhone app.