The new roller coaster is here!  And it’s fake.  But my recon (1 dude) has confirmed that it’s a pretty good fake.  Awesome actually.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is a ride  that simulates a Nimbus 2000 broom flight with H.P. via something akin to Lexus’s virtual driving simulators.  It’s using high end robotic platforms combined with audio/visual to create a race around Hogwarts that feels pretty real.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iT7CPDrK8ro]

The cool thing about it according to eternal kid James Krahe is that the experience is stellar.  He said, “I couldn’t figure out how they were doing it”.

They were doing it with an overgrown robotic arm that functions just like CMU’s dFab arms.  It has full range of motion relative to a fixed point at the base which is more than enough to simulate the G’s involved in whipping around a roller coaster and indeed forces that would rip a car on a track to pieces if it tried to change direction as fast.  The cool thing is, we can have different experiences.  The question is, are they as cool as being 400 ft of the ground in a tiny train car looking out over the world.  We’ll see…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gusJeslMbLc]

This is a water clock in Osaka.  The falling droplets of water form images. I think this is mostly successful for me because of the novelty.  The visuals and sounds that are generated are very fun.  I would love to see some other programs written for this visualization tool, as the ones here are a little but hokey.  I also feel that the installation begs to be played with.  I want to touch the letters and images as they fall.  Perhaps there is an opportunity to create interactive experiences with this kind of water printer where touching or breaking up the images would affect the output.  Make a game out of it.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRD4ladUSOc]

I love motion design and it has only recently come to my attention that high end motion often requires the development of custom apps and algorithms.  One of the code artists who worked on this spot also worked extensively on algorithmic animations for the Tron legacy film.  You can see a lot of similarities in the kinds of effects he is creating.  Pretty cool stuff. Here is his website.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLnKSKaY1Yw]

I was able to check out the interactive art exhibition Talk to Me at the MoMA in NYC in the fall and this was on of the more fun and playful projects there.  It is an installation that allows a user to sling an SMS onto a projection.  I think it basically consists of a cellphone hidden inside a slingshot.  You can input a message into the slingshot and when the slingshot detects that it has been fired an animation is triggered that makes it appear that the message has been launched onto the projected surface.

Thoughts by Marius Watz on the future of the screen saver, now that its utilitarian purpose is obsolete. Watz illustrates the importance of early screen savers in promoting generative techniques in digital art and design, and presents new perspectives for advancing Screen Saver Culture in the 21st century:

[scribd id=78375321 key=key-1hj0l32t50lshdkbkjzd mode=slideshow]

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Thoughts by Koert van Mensvoort on Next Nature, when the Born and Made become one:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDbasRTyzmE&w=560&h=315]

https://vimeo.com/33791755


This is one of those videos that are incredibly visually arresting – as I was watching the video, I could feel my eyes start to drift out of focus and concentrate on the movement and color of the entire mass while listening to the sharp accents of the piano chords. However, what also popped into my imagination was if this could somehow be a kind of immersive physical experience, the movement of the particles could be the movement of many people walking through the space and the piano chords replaced by excited conversation or perhaps punctuations of laughter. I think with a lot of these projects, exploring how to manifest them into physical experience could yield fantastically more engaging and memorable results.

https://vimeo.com/14219338



I love this particular project, especially the layers of depth to the events that take place. At first glance it may seem like a simple demo of interactivity, but in fact there exists more than meets the eye. I think that is crucial, having layers of meaning that requires a little more investment in time, but in the end having a much larger memorable impact. It’s the story. You always have to have a story.

http://infosthetics.com/archives/2011/12/visualizing_cpu_utilization_of_a_large_scale_data_center.html





A pretty neat example of how creating a tool for a mundane purpose can actually be a work of art. In this particular project Branden Gregg created a visualization software to monitor how 6000 virtual CPU’s were performing. I would love to be able to whip out a piece of code like this to use as a mere tool! No matter how utilitarian this may seem, I think what drew me in was its foundation in something that had purpose. In other words, it wasn’t meant to be a cool art project with a sophisticated emotional meaning, it just is what it is and it looks good doing it. Perhaps it’s another one of those form follows function arguments again?

Tape Records

Tape Records is an installation created by Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, which was commissioned by the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney. I think it’s a unique choice and great use of materials as well as a way to create a data visualization. (Typically, I envision something more graphic.) I think this approach helps to really engage the viewer in what the artist is trying to convey because of its physicality and the sound produced. However, I am not completely sold on why the information of how long viewers are in the installation space is necessarily important or very intriguing on its own. If this project was place in more context I think it may have more of an impact. Perhaps installing one next to each previously existing piece in the gallery to compare which piece viewer are more attracted?

Orbiter

http://www.field.io/project/orbiter#/5
Orbiter is interactive installations were the audience is invited to alter and play with the simulation of a night sky displayed above them. By laying down underneath the image and using small gestures, viewers can “insert new stars into the orbit with unique visual and musical characteristics” While the concept of reaching for the stars sound a little cheesy, I could see it being engaging and fun to interact with. It is made by combining video analysis written in C++, generating sounds in SuperCollider and using Java/Processing for the visual graphics. It was also exhibited here in Pittsburgh in 2008 at the Woodstreet Galleries.

(Check out the link for more pictures, I wasn’t able to embed them in the blog post, sorry!)

http://www.field.io/project/orbiter#/5

Throwable Panoramic Ball Camera
[https://www.youtube.com/user/MediaArtTube#p/u/7/MtHCFkQ_V9A]
The Throwable Panoramic Ball Camera was created by Jonas Pfeil in 2011. It reminded me of James George’s Free Fall App from earlier today. There are 36 cameras within the green foam covered ball, which the user throws up in the air to take a picture and then catches. It is definitely a bit goofy looking and I’m not sure how practical it really is, but I thought the similarity of capturing a picture or video by dropping/throwing an object was interesting.

South Korean Subway Grocery “Stores”

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJVoYsBym88&w=420&h=315]

Tesco Grocery Stores put up large photographs of aisles of their grocery stories in south korean subway stations. Each item has a scannable QR code on it. People who are waiting for their train can “explore the shelves” and scan all of the items that they want to put them into their “cart”. Then they just press order and wait for them to be delivered to their house!

I think this is a very clever campaign for a culture where smart phones and QR codes are readily accepted and used, and the busy people view grocery shopping as a big hassle. I like how it allows people to utilize the time they were previously wasting waiting for trains.

However, I wonder if the “stores” could be used by people with out smart phones.I also wonder what happens after you buy from the “store” once… can you sign up for weekly staples? What is this system like? Is it as fun as the original hook?

 
Sandscape- Interactive Map Tool

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpyJcN3Tyzg&w=420&h=315]

Sandscaoe is a tangible interactive system that can educate about maps, topography, and weather. It is essentially a box filled with little beads that users can move around. They can dig valleys, or pile up mountains. The system then reads the depth of beads are any point and projects down colors and patterns to convey the information.

I like this system because it brings maps to life. People love touching the beads, exploring the possibilities and seeing their effect on the colors.
 

Adaptive Healing Room by Philips

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1edIODuCxes&w=560&h=315]

This video shows a demo of an adaptive healing room developed for hospitals. The smart rooms have different programmed systems of lighting, sounds, and screens that aim to make patients feel comfortable, connected to the outside world, and be exposed to the correct amount of stimulation at any given time.

I wonder how much control the patient will have in this environment. Will they be upset when the window curtains close because they are supposed to be “resting?”

With all the discussion of software-steeped art, I felt a reactionary desire for embodiment. So I found myself attracted to projects with materiality, such as the Gravity Stool displayed above (with a making of video below). Using the forces of gravity and a very strong magnetic field, Jolan Van der Wiel crafts these unique and unusual pieces of furniture. Although I am an outsider to the world of design, I do know that chairs are almost symbolic objects. As this is my first university class in art or design, I thought my first Looking Outward could explore this prototypical example of the intersection of artistry and functionality in the vehicle of a chair. I appreciate the creative setup where elements of chance join forces with nature. I find the results a bit terrifying, with sharp edges and a stool that may or may not be able to support its user.

Gravity Stool by Jolan Van der Wiel

[vimeo=https://vimeo.com/34773498]

Source: http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/18643/jolan-van-der-wiel-gravity-stool.html

The algorithms alluded to in generative art, which Golan called morpho-synthesis, must have captured my imagination as the decaying ‘buildings’ seem to have both crystaline structures and traditional architectural forms. I enjoy the structural elements that jump off the canvas and am curious why the artist chose to douse his creations in one color of paint. Individuality fades in the face of erosion and time? Again escaping the world of software, these dystopian architectural paintings, created by Jerry Joran, enter and share our space. Though this time created by application of human handicraft, it is as if nature has already begun our degradation, reminding us of our impermanence.

The Diaroma Paintings of Jerry Judah

Source: http://dataisnature.com/?p=599 and http://www.judah.co.uk/paintings/

We have explored growth through natural forces, civilization growth in conflict with natural decay, and now I show you mechanical growth in a human body.  The video below is fictional and speaks of a future where we are joined with machines but they take us over from the inside.  These mechanical structures have adopted the technique of viral or crystaline growth to grow from seeemingly innocuous implants that were meant to help our age-weakened bodies survive. Dystopian blends with organic generation and degradation. The story could equally be a physical metaphor for cancer or an internalization of how computer viruses might capture and transform our data. It also reminded me of our first assignment. Random numbers generating complex but aesthetically-pleasing forms based on a few rules. The results of algorithms can be dangerous as well as beautiful.

Beware of Metalosis Maligna by Floris Kaayk
[vimeo=https://vimeo.com/1192666]

Source: We Make Money Not Art (though original links are broken)

Neko Ears – A Giant Leap For Furries Everywhere

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lSgEt5bIQ4&feature=player_profilepage]

A simple premise – Robotic cat ears that move autonomously, depending on your mood. Despite being more or less horrified with the specific application, it’s comforting to know that brainwave-sensing technology has reached the point where it can be applied to such ridiculously frivolous products. A different form factor, perhaps a “smart” mood ring, for example, would be preferable, or more pragmatically, light controls that dim and brighten in time with your mood. Taking advantage of a user’s mental state to automatically control a system of some sort definitely has potential, though.

Papercraft Mustang: No, Not the Horse.

Origami isn’t exactly my forte, but I do have an irrational love for papercraft, the art of exploding 3D models, printing them out on 8.5 x 11 paper, then cutting and gluing until an object takes form. This particular project finds the user creating these models based on his memory of a favorite automobile and recreating it at full scale, down to the individual widgets. There’s something really compelling to me about being to generate quite literally any form with only a printer, scissors and glue. The funny part is, 3D printers don’t inspire this same sort of devotion in me. I’m going to propose that the reason is the materiality of it all. Unless you’re scraping off layers of sand manually, 3D printing is a magical, hands-off activity. Papercraft, on the other hand, is almost meditative in its application of tedious manual labor. The human hand has a part in every fold scored, every flap glued. That said, papercraft is much more compelling when you, like this creator, generate the patterns yourself.

Generative Medusae: Giving Form to Function

[vimeo=https://vimeo.com/13244834]

I’ll admit this right up front – most generative mathematical simulations bore me to tears. I just can’t get enthused, despite the mathematical sophistication or the elegance of the logic. Maybe this is why I was never a very successful architect. Anyway! THIS, on the other hand, is captivating. Not only does the visualization give a physical form to the mathematics, it does so in a beautiful visualization that manages to capture the essence of those great Olde Tymey pen renderings! It’s worth checking out the link tot he whole project page, as well. As is so often the case, some of the janky development screenshots are even more aesthetically fascinating than the finished product.

We’ll have all semester to talk about and create computational interactive art, but interactive art isn’t a medium confined to the computer.  I thought I would focus my first Looking Outwards on three pieces of fantastic non-electronic interactive art.

Train:

Train by Brenda Brathwaite (2009)

Train is a board game entirely unlike anything else.  Created by Brenda Brathwaite as part of a series of non-traditional boardgames, players compete to load small yellow pawns into train cars, cramming them through the too-small entrance of the cars.  Each turn, players can roll a dice and either move their car forward/backward that many spaces, or add or remove that many people from their car.  Instructions, read out of an antique type-writer, are terse and open to interpretation, including the victory condition:  “Train is over when it ends.”  The true message of Train is only revealed when a player’s train reaches the end of its track, and that player may read the card which tells them their destination:  Auschwitz.

When the message of the game is revealed, the mechanics take on a new, sinister context, one which forces the player to think about the consequences of their actions.

Self-Centered Mirror:

[youtube=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1ZaSEbO4iY”]
The Self-Centered Mirror, a piece of interactive sculpture by Daniel Rozin, is a series of 34 cunningly arranged mirrors that will reflect your image and only your image, stripping everyone else out of the room. Due to the nature of the installation, participants generally will make unusual gestures and poses, which are from their gaze private. The artist refers to it as “…lift[ing] the last obstacle from [humanity] in the quest to total narcissism.” Though Rozin didn’t take any, I would have liked to see as part of the documentation video footage of people admiring themselves in the mirror.

The Compass Table:

Compass Table by Dunne and Raby (2001)

The Compass Table is a novel piece of furniture design by Dunne and Raby as part of The Placebo Project. A wooden table inset with magnetic compasses, The Compass Table allows us to see the effects of electromagnetic fields. When an electromagnetic field is generated (such as by a cell phone), the compasses twitch and move. In this way, the table shows viewers the invisible signals that surround them, exposing an entire world that exists right between our noses.

Communion – Matt Pyke + Field.io

Communion is a video installation that projects a grid of sound-reactive critters over four walls of a rectangular space. Each dynamically-generated creature dances to the rhythm of a musical accompaniment. I appreciate the artist’s careful balance between randomness and order. While skeletons vary in form and motion, they are united by color and a clear organizational matrix. One thing the piece lacks is interactivity. Although it directly addresses the connection between sound and motion, it leaves no opportunity for the audience to explore this connection themselves. If installed at a rave or concert, Communion could really shine.

Tele-Present Water – David Bowen

Tele-Present water is a kinetic sculpture consisting of a metal grid suspended from an array of servo motors. The grid moves to mimic the frequency and intensity of the ocean at a remote location. Tele-Present Water effectively contrasts the mechanistic and the ephemeral. It pits an industrial aesthetic against effortless motion to great effect. However, the tele-presence aspect is perhaps an unnecessary complication. If instead its motion was programmed manually, like a marionette, the artist could explore new aesthetic ground.

Thicket – Joshue Ott + Morgan Packard

Thicket is an iPad app for creating generative music. A simple backbeat is augmented with lead synths and percussion hits in response to multitouch gestures. Thicket makes music creation intuitive. It enforces enough structure that anything sounds good, while still empowering the user to feel control. The experience is generally consistent but could benefit from further audio-visual feedback. The direct connection between gesture and sound is not always evident. Judicious use of color is one way the artist could attempt to reinforce these connections.