Posted on

Choregraphic Taxonomy for Real Time Avatar Puppeteering

Matt Romein

A toolkit for exploring movement and identity within a live performance context in a post digital age.

https://itp.nyu.edu/thesis2016/project/matt-romein

Description

Real-Time Avatar Puppeteering is an investigation of movement and identity through the creation of photorealistic avatars and movement based control of these of avatars using contemporary motion capture technologies. Using photogrammetry, a technique for turning a large quantity of two-dimensional photo data into a three dimensional model of the photographed subject, we can create believable facsimiles our body using consumer level technologies. These 3D models are then able to be rigged up with an internal joint structure that allows for them to be manipulated with a variety of motion capture technologies, many of which allow for real time control.

Classes

Thesis

Posted on

Chol(Phoenix)

Maya Tal

Through an interactive installation, users are exposed to a series of 3D printed sculptures of once-professional dancers and watch them come to life.

http://www.mayamoosh.com/3d-sculptures/

Description

Chol (Phoenix) is a collective memoir of past dancers, a preservation piece that has packaged memories in a material way true to the individual. Through the piece, a series of 3D sculptures of dancers from varying genres, in a range of poses, each colored with eclectic patterns, unique to their style and personality are revitalized in the form of a holographic video

Classes

Thesis

Posted on

Sanctuary

Yurika Mulase

Sanctuary is the world I imagine when I play the piano–a fantasy forest that grows around me and my music. In this virtual world, I can create an intimate and secluded stage where I can overcome my anxiety by minimizing my awareness of the audience.

http://www.yurikamulase.com/sanctuary/

Description

Sanctuary is a shared virtual reality experience for me and a small audience. As a self-conscious piano player, I have never been able to share my personal compositions with others. My imaginary oasis throughout my piano career has been a magical forest where plants and trees grow and bloom with my music. Sanctuary is a representation of this world in VR with animated, child-like, whimsical greenery that emerges along with the musical notes as they are played. Audience members are invited to join me in my virtual forest and indulge in a private world-building session driven by my piano playing. They are represented as glowing orbs in the virtual world, like spirits wandering around a fantasy landscape.

Classes

Thesis

Posted on

Cyborg Market

Fengyi Franklin Zhu

A fictional cyborg market that sell robotic creatures

http://www.fengyizhu.com/Project

Description

This is a series of two robotic creatures – “cecile” thecyborg flower and “#” the cyborg creature. Each robotic figures are highly tailored made with sophisticated details, and this overall conceptual artistic expression about buiding a market that sell robotic creatures would would make an odd but interesting touch on the connection between human and technology.

Classes

Project Development Studio (Danny Rozin)

Posted on

Saltwater Lamp

Aaron Parsekian

A lighting fixture which is powered by saltwater, bright enough to read by, and built from renewable and recycled materials.

http://www.aaronparsekian.com/?cat=10

Description

This project is the result of my journey over the past semester attempting to develop a lamp that runs on salt water and is constructed out of recycled or renewable materials. My light works by pouring salt water into three chambers which have magnesium and carbon electrodes wired in series, which in turn produces enough current and voltage to power 100 lumens of LED’s. It is bright enough to read under, and will last all night without replenishing the water. With the exception of the three rice-sized LED’s, this lamp is compostable when it reaches its end of life (currently estimated at six months). The carbon electrodes were designed by me, and use pine tree rosin to bind charcoal together to act as the battery anodes. The container of the lamp is made out of cardboard and is waterproofed using pine resin as well. My vision for this lamp is for it to be constructed out of materials that can be understood by a layman, and to not contain any of the harmful chemicals normally found in batteries and electronics. In its current iteration, my light is constructed of cardboard, pine sap, charcoal, magnesium, copper wire, and three high-efficiency LED’s. Currently I have been testing my fixture with saltwater that is the same average salinity as sea water.

Classes

Basic Analog Circuits, Project Development Studio (Danny Rozin), Transformational Design: Mindfulness and Physical Computing for Experience-driven Design

Posted on

Stair Brawl

Juan José Egúsquiza, Kevin Stirnweis, Wangshu Sun, Xiwei Huang

Stair Brawl is a two-player arcade game where two sides try to reach the top of the stairs while knocking each other back with falling objects.

Description

Stair Brawl is an arcade game in a custom-built cabinet where two players compete to reach the top of a set of stairs. Players can move, jump, and wreck havoc on their opponent by sending falling objects to set them back and knock them down. This game uses an alternating button system to move so players will have to quickly press two buttons and coordinate to hit the third to rain objects on their nemesis.

Classes

Digital Fabrication for Arcade Cabinet Design

Posted on

Night Light

Shir David

Night light is a 3D scanning and printing, that becomes a functional night light, captured in the moment when we illuminated by unnatural light from our electronic devices.

http://nightlight.shirdaviditp.com/?p=4

Description

Night light is a portrait of light, captured in the moment when we are illuminated by unnatural light from our electronic devices. The piece presents a moment where a teenage girl sits on her bed, a familiar situation for us all, in order to show the digital intervention in our everyday lives. The portrait is a 3D print made from dozens of pictures of Michelle Baum, a teenage girl who wanted to cooperate in this project. All the pictures were processed in PhotoScan, which calculates the depth from an array of pictures. It created a model that I then prepared in ZBrush for 3D printing. After the model was done, I built the circuit that is the physical light, to complete the scene.

Made with help from Taylor Absher from the NYU Advanced Media Studio.

Classes

Computational Portraiture

Posted on

Trat

Gal Nissim

An interactive installation on the relations between humans and rats mediated by trash.

http://www.galnissim.com/#!trat/p3a6r

Description

This project is inspired by my ongoing research on New york city as an ecosystem and one of the most prominent residents of the city — the rat. New York City has a growing population not only of humans but also of rats. The way trash is being treated in the city and the growing number of people in it help to increase the rats population and push them towards humans' habitats.

Trat is a found object installation of a classic outdoor trash bin lighted by a “street light”. Filling it with trash reveals the truth behind what seems at first sight as typical New York trash.

Classes

Readymades, Temporary Expert: Design + Science in the Anthropocene

Posted on

Peeqo

Abhishek Singh

Peeqo is a personal desktop robotic assistant who expresses himself through GIFs.

http://peeqo.com

Description

As human beings we have always been fascinated by robots and whether we like to accept it or not we have this inherent desire to connect with them. However the aspirations of bringing robots into our home have remained largely unfulfilled. Despite widespread industrial adoption, in the home the most popular robot continues to be the Roomba vacuum. My thesis is an attempt at designing a robot around emotion, expression and movement to make it more relatable. I’ve named him Peeqo and he interacts through a unique voice and GIF based interface. Think of him as the love child of Amazon Echo and your favorite Disney character, combining the best of both worlds to create a robotic character that is truly expressive, approachable and engaging.

Classes

Thesis

Posted on

Embrace

Karalyn C Lathrop

Wearable jackets that explore the power of hugs and connection between people.

http://kclathrop.com/embrace-jackets-for-good-vibrations/

Description

This projects explores the power of vulnerability through hugs. Although hugs are a natural form of affection, the majority of people don't get enough hugs throughout a day. When we hug we transfer energy from one person to another, as felt when we hug for comfort. These wearable jackets explore if we could really feel that energy between two people.

Classes

Wearable Tech Design