Which of the types of projects mentioned in “Physical Computing’s Greatest Hits (and misses)” have you seen before? Which are most compelling to you, and why? What strengths and weaknesses do you see in them? What other patterns of physical interaction have you seen repeatedly?

Being very new to the world of technological design, I cannot say that I am very familiar with any of the types of projects mentioned in “Physical Computing’s Greatest Hits (and misses)’. I have, however seen/played with a floor pad before as a kid, have had an interactive doll of some sort and have seen a video mirror and multitouch interface on the ITP floor very recently.

The body-as cursor projects seemed very compelling to me, because of the positive impact they potentially can have on society. The “Digital Wheel Art” project is very inspirational and has the potential of including and engaging disabled people in activities they normally would have to be observers to. It is a great example, where physical computing can enable and empower personal and artistic expression, create dialogue and increase empathy among peoples and societies while narrowing the gap between the general population and people with disabilities, who may not be well adopted to mainstream society otherwise. This sort of technology can be used in a very powerful and empowering way, creating new forms of expression and consequently talents.

My initial reaction to the project when I first watched the video was excitement. Yet the first question that popped into my mind was whether conditioning someone to draw with only their head would cause them any other difficulties or any other complications in their functioning. I cannot tell whether that would be a weakness or not, since it is not an area I know about.

Mechanical pixels also appealed to me for aesthetic reasons. Artistically it can be carried to many different places and the movement and sound can emotionally evoke many strong reactions. It definitely is one technology I would like to experiment with it.

Dolls and Pets that talk to us, for me is weak in terms of the level of interaction. Most of the interaction is predetermined and has a very narrow point of view. Moreover, I do not find the toys to be educational; entertaining perhaps for little children, yet not educational since it’s abilities are very limited and the teaching of right and wrong requires a bit more complexity and sophistication.

Readings

• Physical Computing’s Greatest Hits (and misses)
• Making Interactive Art: Set the Stage, Then Shut Up and Listen