Projects – Page 4 – ITP Winter Show 2015

December 14, 2015March 22, 2016

airchestra

Aaron Montoya-Moraga, Philip J Donaldson

We have created a way to allow users to manipulate music with simple gestures

http://pancake.wtf/2015/12/02/icm-final-update-12115/ // http://www.aaronmontoyamoraga.com/?p=636

Description

Music has been a large motivating factor for both Aaron’s and my work thus far at ITP. For this project we sought to explore how people might interact with sound in a gestural environment, and hopefully made music a little more fun and approachable for those who haven’t played musical instruments. Our project gives users two new instruments to experiment with, the Kinect and Leap Motion sensors. By simply gesturing over the instruments, users will begin to uncover all the music they can make with just a twist, flick or roll of the wrist.

The project at it’s core works by sending raw distance data from the sensors into our programming environment. From there we parse the data and send it to Max for synthesis. The Kinect and Leap Motion are powerful pieces of hardware which make them ideal choices for supporting sound manipulation. Each device can read so much about your body or hands it was great getting to experiment with gesture to create instruments which would make sense to the user. This work has opened the door for experimentation with interfaces not traditionally created for musical expression. We are looking forward to continuing this work to create unique instruments which sound great and are fun to play. Enjoy!

Classes

Introduction to Computational Media

December 14, 2015March 22, 2016

Lipstick Jungle

Kaini Zhou

A trippy VR experience that puts viewers in my lipstick jungle.

Description

I have lots of lipsticks and at some point they proves or strengthens my expression of sexuality. I created a lipstick jungle in VR, where viewers can walk around them, immersing themselves in a colorful magical world, admiring the female object as well as the male reproduction organ metaphor.

Classes

DIY-VR

December 14, 2015March 22, 2016

Extraterrestrial AI

Jamie Ruddy

Did you ever talk to an alien? Now is your chance to chat with an extraterrestrial and ask him anything you like.

http://jamieruddyitp.com/alien/

Description

PETI, the Institute for the Pursuit of Extraterrestrial Intelligence, finally succeeds. By beaming out a signal through an array of radio telescopes, Dr. Andrej Raspinofski receives word back. But instead of hearing from a planet 22-light-years away, he is contacted by an alien who is broken down near Saturn. The extraterrestrial is willing to talk while he fixes his spaceship.

My Extraterrestrial AI is an exploration into interactive storytelling. I wanted to build a fictional character the user can fully interact with instead of a traditional narrative that is read or viewed. Over time I hope to build this character into a more fully developed “alien” and give the story a character arc. For now, please enjoy a fun chat with him.

Classes

Introduction to Computational Media, Introduction to Physical Computing

December 14, 2015March 22, 2016

The Assistive Mat

Olivia Cueva

A mat to assist elderly people who need extra help when they are on the move.

http://www.cuevainteractive.com/the-assistive-mat-working-title-project-proposal/

Description

The Assistive Mat is designed for elderly people who need assistance, but may not want to ask for it. When stepped on, the mat sends a text message to their caretaker’s cell phone, notifying them that their assistance is needed. With the assistive mat, caretakers won't have to hover and can come to the rescue when the mat has been stepped on.

Classes

Introduction to Physical Computing

December 14, 2015March 22, 2016

Faces of Love

Ying He

Faces of Love is an instillation for users to hold their hands to see different faces of love.

http://www.heying.info/a-switch-of-love_physical-comp_week2/

Description

Love has many faces. In the scope of simple touching behaviour, holding hands is the most common but perfect example for demonstrating the feeling of love. Faces of Love is an installation consists of a magic mirror and a pair of magic rings, which is designed for users to hold their hands to see the chemical effect of love.

Classes

Introduction to Physical Computing

December 14, 2015March 22, 2016

Untitled (for you)

Gustavo Eduardo de Campos Abbott

What you see is what you get.

http://www.bringyourownlasers.com/untitled-for-you/

Description

The comparability between silenced thoughts and invisible infrared (IR) light intrigues me. Both exist and persist, yet go unseen/heard at all times. We are aware of both phenomena, and that with a bit of effort we can find a means to reveal either, yet choosing to do so lies entirely upon our individual dispositions. I am reminded of the opening sentence to the short story “The Depressed Person” by David Foster Wallace:

“The depressed person was in terrible and unceasing emotional pain, and the impossibility of sharing or articulating this pain was itself a component of the pain and a contributing actor in its essential horror.”

One could ask: if someone is yelling and wailing in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does this person have nothing to say? We all have our own internal demons and/or thoughts and opinions we may take to the grave, however we choose to conceal said internalities for a myriad of reasons. This may be likened to German political scientist Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann’s Spiral of Silence Theory, which “stipulates that individuals have a fear of isolation, which results from the idea that a social group or the society in general might isolate, neglect, or exclude members due to the members’ opinions. This fear of isolation consequently leads to remaining silent instead of voicing opinions. (Wikipedia)”

The method of using emblematically analogous infrared light as a means to divulge silences attempts to draw attention to the fact that just because something is not seen (or heard) does not mean that it is lacks depth or does not exist in the first place.

Classes

Introduction to Physical Computing, Introduction to Computational Media

December 14, 2015March 22, 2016

Sing-Song

Nikita R Huggins

A visual representation of the Trinidad and Tobago dialect

http://www.nikitahuggins.com/2015/12/07/proposal/

Description

My goal is to teach people the language of Trinidad and Tobago. When I moved to the US I stopped speaking in my native dialect. I thought that the speech would be perceived as incoherent, backward and I unintelligent to people, so opted to speak these words only to Trinidadian natives. To dispel this discomfort and regain part of my identity I want to teach others some words I used constantly growing up in an effort to showcase who I am by:
1. teaching a part of the history of my country via its linguistics
2. conveying that an accent or a language is not a hindrance to communication
3. showing that anyone sounds beautiful speaking – so we should not limit ourselves in fear or to appease anyone

Classes

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

December 14, 2015March 22, 2016

Fake Painter

Xingjian An

Fake Painter is a drawing machine to help normal people to be able to draw abstract sketch as an artist.

http://www.xingjianan.com/2015/12/07/pcom-final-fake-painter/

Description

Fake Painter is a drawing machine to help normal people to be able to draw abstract sketch as an artist. The machine use laser diode to draw picture ,which is captured by the Kinect, and ask users to draw on paper by following the track of laser.

Classes

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

December 14, 2015March 22, 2016

4 x 4

Fengyi Franklin Zhu

Experiencing form & transform through your hand

http://fengyizhu.com/project/4×4.jpg

Description

Our hands serve as our most powerful tools at almost any occasions, we point, we touch and explores the world with them. With this understanding our hands, further approach through experimenting with hands catches my interests, what if the hands can be even more power than just pointing or touching? What if it can transform objects?

This piece of installation satisfies my curiosity, it empowers the hands through technology and explores the line between digital and physical. Any person standing in front of the piece and wave their hand, the pattern starts transforming according to the movement of the person’s hand. Since the iris mechanism is a great way to enlarge and shrink the size of a circle, the piece is made out of 16 irises and each controlled by a servo, which can close and open freely with a simple rotation from the servo. The algorithm is generally determine the diameter of each ellipses according to the distance between the position of the person’s hand and the position of each ellipses, so that the ellipse gets bigger as your hand is far away and gets smaller as your hand is close to it. The transforming process is organic, which delivers a natural feel that portray any experiences with hands.