The long-term goal of this project is to create an open platform that is very simple to use and extensible, opening up physical computing to a much wider audience.

The Mud Tub occupies a space similar to other experimental human-computer interfaces, like, multi-touch surfaces, body controllers, augmented reality systems, etc, which push the boundaries of codified interaction models, and drive the development of innovative software applications. Beyond its role as a research topic, the Mud Tub also exists as an open-sourced hardware/software platform on which interactive artists and designers explore new methods for creating and displaying their work.

Where the Mud Tub differs from the field though, is it’s use of a richly textured organic substance that takes advantage of human ingenuity and complex sensory ability; pioneering a new open-ended interaction typology where prescriptive goals are centered around states, rather than specific user manipulation. I.e., instead of having an user click a mouse button with their pointer finger, or gesture with two fingers in a specific way, he or she is simply asked to create a state in the Mud Tub surface, which can be accomplished in any manner of ways, including digging, molding, pressing, piling, etc. This creates a “buffer” between physical user action and digital result that allows for user improvisation and makes the system inherently adaptable.

Exploring unique and natural physical interactions, especially ones that involve rich tactile feedback, has been directly or indirectly a part of my work as an artist and designer for some time. My previous work has consisted of everything from bringing sweat, grunts, and arm wrestling to the classic game Tetris, to constructing squishy circuits with conductive felt; all projects which sought to bring organic (and human) qualities to our experiences with the digital world.

With my most current work, the Mud Tub, I am particularly excited to see the impact mud has on an user’s attitude toward interacting with computers; they instantly seem to “feel at home,” as if they had found something missing. This spark I see in people is what keeps my research into organic interfaces moving forward; next, I plan to expand upon the case study applications, initially developed for the Mud Tub, by forming collaborations with artists and designers who can provide rich content for the Mud Tub via it’s API built on top of the open source platform Processing. The future is exciting.

By combining one of the oldest, traditional art forms (drawing) with one of the newest and most innovative, (physical computing), I aim to create interactive installations with a slightly more permanent outcome. Over the past few months, I have built several autonomous “cobots”, or robots developed for direct interaction and collaboration with their operators/audience, that create unique and distinct works of art in a clear and direct partnership with their audience. Both prototypes and their users work in a symbiotic process, each readily contributing to the outcome of the drawings being created, in real time, before them. The finished physical compositions themselves will serve as a permanent record of the interactions that have taken place between the robots and their onlookers.

The first of the cobots, named ShadowBot, operates in a dim setting, and, by employing an array of light sensors, responds to the shadows of its viewers. The second machine, SoundBot, utilizes an amplified and filtered microphone output to react to noises created by its audience. Both of these cobots were built upon the ArdBot platform, an arduino based, modular robotics platform, developed from the ground up for the purposes of this project, as well as for future experimentation.

The Traveling Sound Museum consists of an antique cart on which are installed a half dozen mason jars, each containing carefully concealed sound circuitry, a battery, and a speaker. The user takes a jar off the cart, unscrews the lid, and holds it up to their ear. Each jar contains a different faux-historical soundscape recording and the overall mood of the piece is heavily influenced by the traveling salesman archetype as portrayed in film and literature depicting 19th century Americanna. The aim of the work is to present a completely fantastical collection in a deadpan and earnest manner, to raise questions about museums, collections, and institutional truth and honesty. There is also a playful aspect of the work that I hope instills in the end user a sense of wonder and imagination that is so often removed from the modern day scientific and museum communities.