Category Archives: Introduction to Computational Media

Daniel Shiffman, Introduction to Computational Media, Introduction to Physical Computing, Materials and Making Things by Hand, Mimi (Yue) Yin, Peter Menderson, Projects, Tom Igoe, Yifan Hu, Yingjie Bei

Moon Phases

Yingjie Bei, Yifan Hu

Moon Phases is a project in which users can input a date and they are able to see the moon’s phase of the date through a physical installation and computer screen, which is both educational and poetic.

http://www.yifanhunyc.com/?cat=1

Description

Moon Phases is a project in which users can input a date and they are able to see the moon’s phase of the date through a physical installation and computer screen, which is both educational and poetic.

The center of the installation is a 4’’ moon sphere made by cement. At the outer circle of the moon sphere, there is a flashlight connected with the gear under the surface, which affects the changing of the moon’s phase.

Users are able to see the corresponding moon phase while inputing the date through three knobs(which stands for year, month and day respectively) on the panel. Also, there is a row of 8×8 LED matrix that displays the date that was input.

On the surface of the project, there are laser etched related informations – lunar month and names of the moon phase.

We think the changing process of the moon phase is beautiful logically and aesthetically. It is not only reflected in the complicated astronomy system and the passage of time, but also in the interpretation of human beings. For example, in my country China, there are a lot Chinese ancient poems about moon and moon phases. We were thinking about adding some specific cultural meaning to it. But we decided to do without it, because we do not want to limit the context and the imagination of viewer, especially those who do not come from the culture we present.

We want to create a experience of crossing the time and space dimensions for viewers through a easy interaction(three knobs). At the same time, inspire the viewer to think of the time, the world and universe that we live in.

Classes

Introduction to Computational Media, Introduction to Computational Media, Introduction to Physical Computing, Materials and Making Things by Hand

Daniel Shiffman, Denny George, Introduction to Computational Media, Introduction to Physical Computing, Projects, Tom Igoe, Upasana Jain

Privé – Your own space, when you need it!

Denny George, Upasana Jain

Have you ever shared a space with someone and wished you could shut others out and have your own private space? Privé , an interactive Modular Partition Screen lets you do that with a single touch!

http://www.upasanajain.com/?p=86

Description

The Interactive Partition Screen is made out of modular units, allowing people who share the same space to have their own personal demarcated sub spaces within the larger setting. The wall gives the user control over his/her space based on touch and also acts as a screen to create ambient settings in that space.

The wall has two very specific functions.

1) Privacy/ Demarcation of a sub-space

2) Window to the outside world:

Projection mapping of natural environments that lets the user bring some nature inside his/her immediate physical space and breaks the monotony of being in the same space for hours.

When the user touches a module (comprising of 3 forms), the forms open up in a row. Thus visually, there is more control over the what level he/she is looking at.

Each form is attached to a capacitive sensor that detects the touch and one full rotation servo motor that controls the mechanical motion of opening and closing of 3 forms together. The modules are interconnected using the dovetail wood joinery.

The second aspect of projection of a natural setting is achieved using a diaphanous screen behind the partition wall. The transparent screen allows visibility as well as projection to create specific settings in the room.

Each module can be closed again just by a touch.

Classes

Introduction to Computational Media, Introduction to Physical Computing

Ben Light, Daniel Shiffman, Intro to Fabrication, Introduction to Computational Media, Introduction to Physical Computing, Jingwen Zhu, Projects, Tom Igoe

Big Data Cloud

Jingwen Zhu

Big Data Cloud provides people with a visible and tangible experience of interacting with big data.

http://www.jingwenzhu.com/2014/12/big-data-cloud/

Description

In the Applications class, we had a lot of speakers talk about big data. They discussed how big data benefits our lives, how it inspires us, and how it make us transparent, etc. But big data remains obscure to me. What does big data looks like? Is there an invisible cloud somewhere? What would big data in the cloud look like if it were tangible? For my Physical Computing and Intro to Computational Media final project, I created the Big Data Cloud, that gets data from users, and give the data back to them.

In this installation, people are not only encouraged to interact with the cloud, but also interact with the data. When a user comes under the cloud, a mobile phone drops down from the cloud, with a question displayed on the screen. After the user types the answer to the question, the phone “uploads” back into the cloud. After thunder and lightening, the cloud rains. The big data rain is in the form of a printed roll of paper with the users' answers to the question. Additionally, the most frequently repeated words are projected as puddles on the ground. Users can play either with the projected raindrops, or read all the answers on the receipt.

In our daily life, we are interact with big data every day. We provide our data to the cloud, and get data back from it. Yet this repeated occurance falls to the background because we use big data so often that it goes unnoticed. By creating the Big Data Cloud I provide people with a visible and tangible experience of interacting with big data, and let them to rethink about how big data affects our lives.

Classes

Introduction to Computational Media, Introduction to Physical Computing, Intro to Fabrication

Daniel Shiffman, Introduction to Computational Media, Minju Kim, Projects

Swans

Minju Kim

Ballet Performance using Leap Motion by Processing

https://vimeo.com/113468064

Description

Swans is a digital ballet performance. A Ballerina is supposed to perform as a white swan but a dark swan, in her inside, tries to come out. This performance is performed by hands using Leap Motion and Processing. Leap Motion detects hands' movement and Processing uses the information to perform the show.

Classes

Introduction to Computational Media

Benedetta Piantella Simeonidis, Daniel Shiffman, Introduction to Computational Media, Introduction to Physical Computing, Minju Kim, Projects, William Field

Explorer

William Field, Minju Kim

Explorer is a space simulator. It is designed to be an educational tool which teaches about orbital mechanics.

http://www.willjfield.com/?page_id=348

Description

Explorer is a space simulator. It is designed to be an educational tool that teaches about space flight and orbital mechanics. The user of the simulator controls a space ship orbiting one of four planetary bodies in our Solar System – the Moon, Mercury, Earth and Neptune.

The simulator has two modes: free play and tutorial. Free play allows the user to direct the ship as desired and for any planet to be chosen at any time. Tutorial mode guides the user through several steps explaining how to get into orbit and how to change the shape of the orbit.

Along with the Processing sketch, Minju and I built a handheld controller to control the ship and camera. The project is designed as a prototype for a interactive museum didactic. It is targeted to ages 10+ but is enjoyable for all ages.

Classes

Introduction to Computational Media, Introduction to Physical Computing

Comm Lab: Networked Media, Daniel Shiffman, Introduction to Computational Media, Projects, Ross Goodwin

Fiction Generator

Ross Goodwin

Generates full-length, customizable novels from a massive set of collective consciousness narratives.

http://fictiongenerator.com

Description

FicGen draws from the complete archives of multiple websites, restructures text corpora, and inserts generated characters to construct full-length novels. Users can select and adjust various attributes of the generated novels through a graphical user interface. Customizable attributes include: title, character names, genre, conflict, length, character count, passion, realism, density, and depravity.

The websites FicGen draws material from include Project Gutenberg (gutenberg.org), tvtropes.org, erowid.org, and scp-wiki.net. I started with tvtropes.org, a self-described wiki of “the tricks of the trade for writing fiction.” The tvtropes wiki contains an extraordinary variety of fiction “tropes”—recurring motifs, themes, or elements that are present in nearly all fiction. By extracting the text from wiki articles, changing the verbs to past tense, and inserting character names in the place of personal pronouns, I found I could create compelling character descriptions, setting descriptions, and some exposition.

I used variations on the same technique (changing verbs to past tense, replacing personal pronouns with character names) on materials from the other three websites. Project Gutenberg (gutenberg.org) contains over 46,000 free, public domain books in ASCII format; erowid.org contains over 18,000 drug experience reports; and scp-wiki.net is a horror fiction website containing nearly 3,000 fictional reports on various supernatural entities and objects.

By choosing chapter structures based on user-defined attributes, I found I could combine altered versions of these materials into complete novels, with consistent character names providing continuity. All materials, except erowid.org experience reports, are either in the public domain or licensed under Creative Commons, and official permission is pending for the use of erowid.org experience reports.

Blog Posts

http://www.thehypertext.com/tag/fiction-generator/

Code:

https://github.com/rossgoodwin/plotgen

https://github.com/rossgoodwin/ficgen

Classes

Comm Lab: Networked Media, Introduction to Computational Media

Brett Stiller, Dan O'Sullivan, Introduction to Computational Media, Introduction to Physical Computing, Matt Romein, Projects, Tom Igoe

Soci[T]able

Brett Stiller, Matt Romein

Join us at the bar, where your glass becomes both a vehicle for libation and tool for interaction, controlling an animated environment on the surface beneath you.

http://www.brettstiller.com/socitable/

Description

The Soci[T]able is an interactive counter-top that mirrors and visualizes the social behavior of it's guests.

Built using ReacTIVision and TUIO (camera vision and tracking) , MAX MSP, and Projection Mapping, patrons interact both with a projected animation and each other.

Each glass is identified by a unique Fiducial at it's base and affects the animation beneath.

Classes

Introduction to Computational Media, Introduction to Physical Computing

Chang Liu, Daniel Rozin, Introduction to Computational Media, Projects

Wild Growth

Chang Liu

"Wild Growth" is a generative portrait drawing artwork that allows people stand in front of web-camera and see their artistic portraits form as growth of natural plants.

http://www.liuchangitp.com/icm_pixel-project/

Description

This is a playful interactive project which is an interactive processing that generating a drawing by analyzing live video. My inspiration is jackson pollock. He was well known for his unique style of drip painting. In term of technological part, I use Processing as my tool. I combined two parts which are camera analyzing system and visual part(particles system). All the colors is be picked by live camera “eye”. That means what it sees, and what it draws. It reminds me to take my computer go to natural environment, or face to a picture or a video, or put in front of a viewer as if draw a quick portrait paint. Therefore, I take it to somewhere and get those random screen still pictures.

Classes

Introduction to Computational Media

Daniel Rozin, Introduction to Computational Media, Projects, Yurika Mulase

DrawMidi

Yurika Mulase

DrawMidi systematically visualizes notes played on a MIDI keyboard into an abstract, glitch-like piece of artwork which can later be musically analyzed based on pitch and dynamic range.

http://www.yurikamulase.com/icm-final-project-drawmidi/

Description

DrawMidi maps pitch and velocity data from the MIDI keyboard onto a canvas made in Processing. Each note played is connected by a line that is color-coded based on pitch. The pitch determines where the line will be placed horizontally, and the velocity will change the height and thickness of the line. The user will have the choice of clearing the background in black or white, and saving the resulting picture in a folder within the Processing sketch. DrawMidi serves as a fun drawing program for those with non-musical backgrounds, and as a music analysis and visualization performance program for those with musical backgrounds.

Classes

Introduction to Computational Media

Introduction to Computational Media, Projects, Roopa Vasudevan, Sehyun Kim

Cosmosonic

Sehyun Kim

Cosmosonic is an Interactive audiovisual installation to visualize cosmos space with generative sound.

http://kimsehyun.kr/2012/itp/icmfinal-project-proposal/

Description

Cosmosonic is an Interactive audiovisual installation to visualize cosmos space with generative sound.

Basically, user can manipulate particles by their hands tracked by kinect sensor. Each of particle's X, Y position values are going to change midi signals, velocity and pitch. These signals are going to transmit into sound production software to generate sounds for visual.

Classes

Introduction to Computational Media