Category Archives: Introduction to Computational Media

Crafting Mindful Experience, Daniel Rozin, Frederick Muench, Introduction to Computational Media, Justin Peake, Projects

MANTIS

Justin Peake

MANTIS is a real-time, physiological mirror through which a user may experience and explore his or her own heart/breath relationship with sound.

http://articulatedworks.com/mantis/

Description

Some methods frame meditation and awareness as an exercises to “get better at this” or “stop doing that”. Often, these are incentive based performance strategies that shift the spirit of engagement from personal curiosity, acknowledgment, and acceptance to a more goal-oriented or even wealth oriented end goal, promising “better” behavioral or materialistic states. As a result, these strategies can create conceptual walls to real discovery and change; we are too busy worrying about what we “should” be doing in the moment instead of actually experiencing the subtlety of the moment. Examples of this phenomenon manifest most notoriously in performance related fields like sports, music, or even medicine, when performers report that they are “in the zone” but fall “out of the zone” as soon as they are aware of being “in” it… the paradox of momentary awareness.

With the MANTIS, I employ pulse and breath sensing technology to generate correlated audio, to offer users the chance to explore a simple environment built from their own physiology and experience first hand the micro changes and corresponding conscious shifts that occur during breathing cycles. The user is seated in front of a large screen which displays concentric circles which represent their own breath and heart rate. The user then inserts one finger into a pulse reader and a breath sensor attached to microphone boom-stand is placed in front of their face approximately 5-10 inches. They are given a brief description of what to do and then given headphones. The sounds they hear are real-time sonic representations of their autonomic nervous system. The experience begins immediately and can last from 15sec – 5 min or more.

Classes

Crafting Mindful Experience, Introduction to Computational Media

Comm Lab: Networked Media, Daniel Shiffman, Hub Uy, Introduction to Computational Media, Introduction to Physical Computing, Jeffrey Feddersen, Luke Kao, Mimi (Yue) Yin, Projects, Xi Liu

Missy

Luke Kao, Xi Liu, Hub Uy

Missy is a physical smart photo frame that reminds users to contact their loved ones in different cities.

http://missy.strikingly.com/

Description

{We want to tackle the communication problems between family members}

*/What problem are we solving? /*

Grow up in Asian family; we are not used to express love to our family member. Relationships between family members grow apart because of bad communications.

*/What is our solution/*

Reconcile the relationship of family members by hacking communication technology. The smart photo frame will remind user to call their loved ones by gradually opaque the photo using micro-controller and switchable Glass.

Classes

Comm Lab: Networked Media, Introduction to Computational Media, Introduction to Physical Computing

Benedetta Piantella Simeonidis, Dan O'Sullivan, Francisco Ramirez, Introduction to Computational Media, Introduction to Physical Computing, Projects

Mind the Needle

Francisco Ramirez

Pop a balloon with your mind.

http://www.fracoix.com/physcomp/2014/10/11/mind-the-needle-mid-term

Description

Time's running out! Will your Attention drive the Needle fast enough? Through the EEG consumer electronic Mindwave, visualize how your Attention level drives the speed of the Needle's arm and pops the balloon!

Classes

Introduction to Computational Media, Introduction to Physical Computing

Benedetta Piantella Simeonidis, Dan O'Sullivan, Daniel Shiffman, Introduction to Computational Media, Introduction to Physical Computing, Melissa Felderman, Paul Hiam, Projects

Digital Graffiti Wall

Melissa Felderman, Paul Hiam

An interactive virtual drawing experience.

melissafelderman.com/digitalgraffitiwall/index.html

Description

For our Physical Computing final project we are planning to build an interactive digital drawing experience. Our goal is to enable social interaction in a fun and unusual environment and to create a token for the user to take from the experience similar to a traditional photo-booth. The interaction should feel transcendent. If successful, the experience should act as a social lubricant and the user should walk away smiling.

The experience is as follows:

-There will be a projection on a flat surface. This is the digital drawing.

-As the user provides input, the projection will update to reflect their actions.

-There will be a computer out of site from the user where the digital drawing lives and is updated.

-The user will provide input by using tools in drawing or painting like motions.

-The sensors on the tools will send feedback to the computer causing the drawing to update.

-The projection will provide real time feedback to the user to inform their continued interaction.

-One of more users can interact with the experience at one time.

-Once the user/s is satisfied with the drawing, they will have the option to email their digital drawing to their personal email or to friends.

This project is designed to have infinite iterations and adapt to any environment. For our first iteration, we plan to keep the experience simple and minimize the amount interaction options. Once we move beyond Version 1, we will have room to create a more robust experience by pulling in external media, like selfies, interactive environmental backdrops and animations, or the option to save as a gif or jpg.

Classes

Introduction to Computational Media, Introduction to Computational Media, Introduction to Physical Computing