The vast majority of work in the field of human-computer interaction has involved programming computers to better sense and understand our inputs, yet little work has been done in terms of how we humans can better sense and understand computers. Computers, and electronics in general, reach out to us through creating fields of low and very low frequencies of the electromagnetic spectrum. These ubiquitous frequencies penetrate and permeate our bodies at the molecular level, so spatially intimate experiences with electronics can be understood as a merging of physical bodies with the computer\’s electromagnetic embrace. As we humans have no natural means of sensing these frequencies, the \”EM brace\” provides a means of physically engaging with these frequencies by combining two of our natural senses, touch and hearing. As a device for exploring and navigating these hidden \”hertzian\” spaces, the EM Brace accentuates the microscopic merging of body with computer and the boundlessness of the quantum while situating the physical body in relation to consumer and communication technologies. Furthermore, the EM Brace embodies the ineluctable direction of human evolution towards the cybernetic post-human, an evolution that can be understood in terms of a Deleuzoguattarian becoming, specifically a becoming-electronic.

A writer and web designer by trade, I have recently fallen in love with animation. I discovered the medium during my master’s studies at NYU.

I find animation to be a direct and literal way to communicate an idea or tell a story – with absolute freedom of both subject matter and style. With today’s powerful and straightforward animation technology, an artist can create a whole world before lunch.

I was inspired by The Book of Lulu, a CD-ROM published in 1995. The story, written by Romain Victor-Pujebet, is about a lonely little princess who teaches a space-traveling robot to feel human warmth. It’s presented to us as an open book with text and interactive portions where a picture book\’s illustrations would be.

I loved the way The Book of Lulu integrates the written word with images, animation, and sound. I wanted to present one of my own stories the same way.

The story depicts the return of some flawed circus performers to their home at the circus. By the time they arrive, they have driven a truck driver to insanity, offended more than a few noses, and figured out what really matters.

My story, like The Book of Lulu, lives on the printed page – which lives on a computer screen. I\’ve integrated images, motion, and sound to produce a story that says more and invites deeper participation than words could do alone.

It\’s my wish that exploring this strange and animated world makes you feel like a kid again.

Simple materials and interfaces can lead to engaging performances and interactions. \”Rope&Pulley\” is a performance tool which combines media playback with large expressive gestures in physical space. Originally prototyped using recycled cardboard and old computer parts, the system was built with the idea that digital technology allows us the opportunity to endlessly remix and recycle audio. This is evident in both the building materials and in the interaction the piece affords. The rope and pulleys reference the look of the magnetic tape on an old reel-to-reel deck.

The interface is partly about the idea of looping music, a key to the production of most modern popular music, but also about the juxtaposition of body motion with music creation and playback.

Moving Parts is a hybrid physical/video pinball game designed to evaluate some of the effects of simple variations in rules, mechanics, and scoring on social dynamics between players. It consists of a two-player pinball table with physical buttons and plungers, and a video display projected onto the tabletop.

Working from an underlying simplified pinball game, different game variations can be played on the table at different times. These variations are intended to elicit different kinds of play–collaborative play, synchronized movements, direct competition, strategic give and take, etc.

By running these games as variations on a single theme, with players in physical relation to each other but acting through the rules of a digital system, I hope to gain a deeper understanding of the ways that one-to-one human social relationships may be mediated and influenced by shared participation in digital systems.

Tuist is an emotionally driven interface taking on our inner desires and fantasies of instantaneously becoming superstars and on our instinctive imitation of the musical performers gestures as expressions of sounds.
It\’s a multi-instrument minimal interface featuring multi-track gesture recording/ playback allowing for \’one-man-band\’ performances. Its different instrument modes can be selected by positioning without any physical transformation.

\”Suspended on a Road from Here to There\” is a series of sculptures that explores the clash of cultures in the city of my childhood, Bombay, now called Mumbai, through the lens of two languages, Marathi and English. The three sculptures, \”Encounter,\”\”Bomबई,\” and \”Cowherd\”, employed MEL scripts in Maya and were realized with a Z-Corp rapid prototyping printer. I chose rapid prototyping as the method with which to realize these works because of the cost advantage, both in terms of time and price, in creating multiple works and the complexity in form of each piece. The sculptures are intended to be viewed as a triptych, as each informs the other and creates a metaphorical circle, analogous to the \”chakra\” on the India flag. As a whole, this thesis work creates a physical representation of lessons learned from the past and a hope for a more generous spirit in our descriptions of one another as we move into the future.

The Perceptual Expansion Space/Suit is a defined space wherein the participant wears the modular bodysuit to engage in a conversation with light and sound. By exploring the space with their newly expanded sensory apparatus–given to them by the suit, the participant may find the space presents itself to them in new ways.

This one-size-fits-all modular bodysuit has hot-swappable SensorNodes in order to facilitate different modes of sensing. The Nodes are currently mapped under the arms in an area of lowered conscious attention or Negative Perceptual Space. Like moving a spotlight across a darkened stage, attention will be shifted to these areas, exposing new ways to activate and be in the space.

Project based learning creatively incorporates all areas of study, both academically and artistically, into one collaborative, comprehensive project that fosters teamwork. The production of a claymation movie, falls under the umbrella of project based learning. Throughout the claymation process, children learn to: collaborate with one another, perform research, build authentic sets, design and create clothing, write scripts, complete storyboards, play music and/or select soundtracks, build and animate armature figures, organize and plan a project and complete an entire production cycle.

ClaymationForCurriculum is a blog that instructs teachers on both how to create a claymation film and how to incorporate claymation filmmaking into academic curriculum. The blog provides teachers with a detailed resource for implementation of this project and also provides a space for teachers to network and share.

Like human\’s face, the mouth of cup always face in front, while you are talking to other people, or praying to your god, whenever you are serious, you will face to the object that you are focus on. Therefore, love is the most devotional belief, so I believe when you are missing someone, you will also want to turn to it\’s direction and send it your yearning, and this is the idea of my thesis – The Missing Cups. You and your lover will share a set of two cups, each person has one, and wherever you both are, both cups will turn to face to another, which will lets the owner knows the people you are missing, is one the extended line of the cup is point to.