Wooden Mirror – Daniel Rozin

I wouldn’t be surprised if other people use this as well, but it’s still an example of interactive art that I remain deeply impressed by.  Technically, the complexity of doing image processing and controlling 830 servos nearly a decade and a half ago is enough to be cool by itself.  From an artistic perspective, I like his reinterpretation of the mirror using materials with completely different reflective properties (Lambertian rather than specular, like glass).  I think the sound of the physical moving parts adds another interesting dimension as well, as it conveys auditory information that corresponds to the motion of the subject.  As an artifact, the mirror lends itself to exploration and discovery, as its initial function may not be entirely clear.  I imagine that its behavior is also somewhat specific to the installation environment and local lighting conditions, which I believe enhances its charm rather than detracts from it as is common with many projects incorporating computer vision.

Chatroulette and Omegle

I think both of these websites are interesting in that they connect (in all likelihood) complete strangers and give them free reign to either A) hold intelligent conversations, B) be jerks, or C) show their junk off.  Usually it ends up being either B or C.  In any case, I think the collective behavior reveals something about human nature with respect to anonymity and our interactions with each other through the screen.  This can be found elsewhere, like in Youtube comments, but those interactions are still centered around something else like a video or article, and they happen in clusters.  Omegle appears to have changed to be more like Chatroulette, but I think it was more interesting when it was text-only.  I think a more specific and analog question is “How does the level of anonymity (acquaintance, video, voice, text) change a person’s interaction with another?”

My favorite Chatroulette experiment happened in undergrad when we filled an auditorium with 100 people and greeted strangers over video.  A lot of people were genuinely pleased and would talk with us for some time.  Others would hurry to cover themselves up in embarrassment.

Journey – thatgamecompany

It’s a video game, but not Minecraft, surprisingly.  I haven’t played this myself, but I find the concept delightful.  The gamer plays as a robed pilgrim on a quest to a distant but visible mountain.  The game can be played completely by oneself, and the journey is relatively short, but there is a twist.  At various points in the game, the player will encounter other pilgrims who may cooperate with them to solve puzzles and point out interesting places that might have otherwise been overlooked.  These travelers are actually other humans who are playing the game at the same time, but they are chosen at random and retain their anonymity.  The only means of communication are through auditory cues and physical gestures, so there are no indicators of age, gender, real location, etc.  In a sense, this is an extreme that even Omegle doesn’t reach, yet the results are almost universally more positive.  The game has won lots of accolades for its uniqueness, though I imagine this is something that does not have much room for improvement in the future.

Starfield by Lab212

Starfield is an installation that uses the rhythm of a swing to control the projection of a starry sky. OpenFrameworks is used in conjunction with a Kinect and a projection to create the installation. The details of how this is done can be found in this link. I like this application because it is a simple interactive installation that gives a bigger effect. Event though a swinger, with his swinging motion can control the image projected on the wall, it really is gravity that is doing the work – which I find to be a cool concept. This simple activity of swinging allows you to space out in time, which is the same effect of when you look at a sky full of stars. The combination of the two brings the best of both worlds.

The V Motion Project by Assembly

I think this performance is just amazing. This live performance is a work of collaboration between musicians, dancers, programmers, designers and animators. I find the idea of integrating music with interaction really compelling, and they are able to execute it very well. It is the performance that makes me want to learn to how to combine different tools such as a Kinect and AbletonLive to create a similar project. It also heightens my interest in projection mapping.

Floating Forecaster by Richard Harvey

To me, this installation is more of a proof of concept than anything else. It shows an interaction between a physical object, a tool such as an iPhone, and a software (in this case MaxMSP). This reminds me of touchOSC, in which I have recently explored and slowly becoming familiar with. It is a good start, but I think it can be taken further.

Silk

Silk is an interactive website that uses mouse movement as a drawing tool to create beautiful textured art. There are several color options as well as symmetry options in composing your piece, and the somewhat-generative music is optional. I find this piece very aesthetically successful.

CLOUD

CLOUD: An Interactive Sculpture Made from 6,000 Light Bulbs from Caitlind r.c. Brown on Vimeo.

This piece is composed of 6,000 lightbulbs, both new and burnt out, and each have a string to pull to toggle whether it is on or off. As an installation, this allows for individuals to come together collectively to experience the piece, and even accomplish goals together (as seen in the video).

Way

I included Way, despite the fact that it’s a game, because I feel like as compared to most games, even multiplayer games, Way has a very unique form of interaction. In the game, you play one of two characters on a split screen. Both of you must pass through your own personal puzzle in order for both of you to advance to the next stage. However, you cannot see all of the solutions to your own puzzle, and must rely on the other player to tell you how to proceed. You cannot type to each other or given any written or verbal communication. The only thing you can do if move your arms and head to make various gestural movements. I think this method of interaction and communication within gaming is relatively novel.

Also it’s from CMU!

Dactyl Nightmare

Back in the early nineties when we were all listening to Cassandra Complex and pouring over tattered copies of Neuromancer, I cajoled my parents into (a) taking me to Dave and Busters and (b) forking over many dollars to let me play Dactyl Nightmare. Dactyl Nightmare was one of the first immersive 3D virtual-reality games, and was both clunky and fairly crap-tacular if memory serves. I remember wearing a musty helmet and spinning around helplessly trying to navigate through a low polygon 3d environment without much luck. Firing weapons was hopeless. Nevertheless, games like Dactyl nightmare are important touchstones (a) in the cultural milieu that spawned Lawnmower Man and (b) as early, not-so-well-realized, examples of the CS research pouring over into popular gaming.

Apple Knowledge Navigator

Not a real product, but certainly one of the all-time greats in speculative interaction design. The knowledge navigator speaks for itself as both a rather humourous anachronism and as a vision of a future that’s (kinda-sorta) come to pass. While not interactive art, it’s certainly a reminder that thinking about what’s not yet possible can be a fruitful use of time and energy.

The Long March

This videogame piece by Feng Mengbo is basically a remix of videogame classics cast as the history of the People’s Republic of China. It’s installed as two huge projection screens facing one another which participants/visitors can walk through. The interaction takes the form of a standard (snes i think) controller, but by manipluating scale and content creates something much more compelling than any standard game of Street Fighter II.