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Dancing in the Rain (Instrument)

Ji Young Chun

A visually pleasing lighting instrument in which people can dance under an umbrella and make musical sounds with their arm(hand)-stretching gestures like 'feeling the rain'.

http://www.jiyoungchun.com/2016/11/16/6-final/

Description

This piece is a visually pleasing musical instrument, called “Dancing in the Rain”.

I want to implement a simulation of ‘dancing in the rain’ under an umbrella. Audiences step into the umbrella, stretch their arm(hand) out to the edge of the umbrella like feeling rains, and make 8 musical sounds ‘do’, ‘re’, ‘mi’, ‘fa’, ‘sol’, ‘la’, ‘ti’, and ‘do’.

8 sections of the ribs of the umbrella will have one ultrasonic sensor each, which senses gestures, and creates beautiful raindrop sounds using p5 and changes color of the rain (optical fiber) of the section using neopixels on the edge of each fiber. The optical fiber stays white as a default, and changes color into rainbow based on gestures.

Classes

Introduction to Physical Computing ITPG-GT.2301.001

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Dating Stories: An Interactive Film

Chris Hall, Jina Jung

We are handing over the reins in the medium of storytelling to the observer by asking the them to choose the direction of a first date.

Description

This interactive film is a comedic, 'choose your own adventure’-style narrative directed towards adults. The lead actress in the film, Christine, has two choices from her search on a popular dating app: will she go on a date with Douglas or Jared? Ultimately the individual observer gets to decide. By using the physical, interactive board, the observer has the ability to choose what path the date goes on in the film by moving the wooden piece from node to node. Their choices and full narrative are executed on the screen.

Classes

Introduction to Computational Media ITPG-GT.2233.002, Introduction to Physical Computing ITPG-GT.2301.003

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Pop-Up Forest

Lindsey Daniels

Play in the world of Pop-up Forest, a pop-up book that affects your surroundings.

http://www.lindseydoes.com/tag/pop-up/

Description

Pop-Up Forest is is an excerpt from a theoretical pop-up book that attempts to immerse the reader in the book's environment. Meant to be either shown on a large screen or (ideally) projected into a space – the room lighting, scene, and soundscape are all influenced by the actions of the reader.

Classes

Introduction to Physical Computing ITPG-GT.2301.005, Introduction to Computational Media ITPG-GT.2233.002

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Words That Stick

Lindsey Piscitell, Oriana Neidecker

Create a performance piece that comments on the unique lexicon that has been cultivated and utilized specifically towards women, and explore the violent and prohibitive effect it has on their often marginalized or reduced role in society.

http://www.lindseypiscitell.com/words-that-stick/ ‎

Description

We have created a wearable that is divided into quadrants (arms & legs). Each quadrant has a designated strip of neopixels hooked up to a controller. The controller has four buttons that allows for each quadrant to cycle through a series of colors. As users cycle through a series of color states via the control panel, the performer (dancer Elizabeth White) will become weaker and weaker until she loses agency of each of her limbs completely. The control panel will also trigger a series of sound clips that will play as a backdrop to the performance piece. The sound clips highlight the lexicon we seek to comment on.

Classes

Introduction to Computational Media ITPG-GT.2233.002, Introduction to Physical Computing ITPG-GT.2301.003

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The Loopy Mic

Ishaan Chaudhary, Nicola Carpeggiani, Satbir Samantha Multani, Yi Zhao

A system that enables microphones to become looping devices that will enhance student beatboxing abilities

https://itp.nyu.edu/classes/drw-fall2016/physical-interface/

Description

Our goal was to design and create a physical interface that helps enhance the Beat Rockers beat boxing program at the Lavelle School for the Blind. Our solution is a hand help mic looper station we call “Loopy Mic”. It allows students to record themselves and overdub allowing for independent beat making on the fly. The interface is designed for the visually impaired but can be used by anyone. The interface has 2 buttons – one that records and overdubs when held down and a second button that resets everything. The current version of the interface uses software coded in MAX MSP and Arduino to operate.

Classes

Design for the Real World: BeatRockers @ the Lavelle School

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Aduri: The Vibrating Meditation Platform

Jesal Trivedi

A vibrating meditation platform that gently vibrates as your chant, "OM".

www.aduri.co

Description

Aduri, meanring 'mindful' in Sanskrit, is a vibrating meditation platform is designed to immerse mediators of all experience levels into a state of total and complete relaxation. Incorporating Arduino, p5.js and various sound equipment, it’s aim is to enhance the meditation experience and reduce the learning curve to become a consistent and effective meditator.

As the meditator chants, the platform will smoothly vibrate simultaneously with the meditator, reinforcing the power of the sound they are creating with their voice. The lights within the “capsule” will gradually pulse at the same tempo meditator’s heart rate and provide an ambient lighting effect. The pulse rate will also be mapped out graphically on a computer screen so the user knows what heart rate they started and finished with ability to send themselves an email of their readings. This is to show the power of meditation to their well-being and to push them to being active mediators in their daily lives.

“Mantra is a Sanskrit word for “sound tool,” and Om is one of myriad such mantras. Sanskrit and some other ancient languages such as Tibetan, prototypical Egyptian and ancient Hebrew evolved as complex systems of onomatopoeia, where the sounds evoke movements of energy.” – US News

I have been a practicing meditator for about half a decade and have seen dramatic improvement to my life, mainly in my ability to concentrate, empathize, become self aware and reduce stress (other benefits to meditation). I have had peers who have tried to get into meditation, but failed to make it a habit, mostly due challenges with concentration and environment.

Since a child, ‘Om’ has been part of every mantra we’ve recited during religious ceremonies and celebrations. Half way through my experience with meditation, I’ve begun incorporating it into my personal sessions and have seen dramatic improvements in focus and concentration.

Classes

Introduction to Computational Media ITPG-GT.2233.002, Introduction to Physical Computing ITPG-GT.2301.003

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form fitting film

Alexander Zimmer

An ever changing video, representing the subjectiveness of the media.

www.alexzimmer.com/themediafilm

Description

This is a film about the media, in form and content. The content is interviews mixed with daily headlines about what the media is today, and how it affects our lives. The form is ever changing, thus showing the transitiveness of the content we watch and produce on a daily basis.

Classes

Introduction to Computational Media ITPG-GT.2233.003, Actual Fact: Visualizing Hiphop Lyrics As Cultural Indicator, Hacking Contemporary Political Rhetoric

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Practice

Satbir Samantha Multani

A sound bag, where when you punch or kick it, you can create music

https://docs.google.com/a/nyu.edu/presentation/d/1GcSQlq-sWBSTIm8KtVfBGcho3aC_tNnnrkvLH2zSlV0/edit?usp=sharing

Description

Practice, is a boxing bag that has FSRs attached to it that makes sounds when you hit it. This is meant to make the practice combinations more explicit so you can hear the patterns being made through repetition. This is a tool that can help martial artists, boxers, or anyone who wants to get better on the bag and keep them focused and entertained while practicing.

Classes

New Interfaces for Musical Expression

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Marriage Machine

Manning Qu

Feel how many people’s happiness are ignored in most countries around the world just because they are not the majority at a glance. An installation concern about LGBTQ topic that is more powerful than any data visualization.

Description

[What is it?]
It’s a physical installation from Intro to P-com class.

[What’s it about?]
To put it simple: it’s about gay marriage. While the whole United States were celebrating ‘Love Wins’, most counties around the world, people who are members of LGBTQ community are still being shut the door upon their face by marriage. However, to many people, this fact is just a statistic data they read in news. Is this work, I want to show the audience how ‘straight only’ marriage works and how many people’ life-long happiness are easily ignored by this kind system.

[What do you need for winter show?]
Only a small table (or share one with others). And an electronic outlet that I can reach with extension cord. The project is smaller than 15*15 inch.

[What tech & material you’re using?]
I’m using a stepper motor to drive a handmade conveyor belt (with lead screw and other parts) to transfer my wooden Symbols of couples, an ultrasonic distance sensor to see if there’s a couple, a color sensor to detect its color and a servo to push it down if it’s not ‘qualified’.

[How’s the user experience?]
(In future version, I want the users to randomly pick a country (or region) and put a random couple on the conveyor, and the machine would work according to the situation of the selected region (ex. If select the US, then the LGBTQ couple won’t be push down as they could get married in the US.)) But for now, the audience only need to pick one couple from the ‘trash box’ or the waiting area to the conveyor belt and watch. They will see that the straight couples going to the ‘Land of happy ever after’ smoothly, but the LGBTQ couples are pushing down to a trash box on the way there.

[What’s your perspective?]
I just want to show this fact visually and dynamically. Seeing those cute little ‘couples’ been pushed down, would be definitely more powerful than seeing data or report. I try not to be judgmental and demonstrate the idea in an empathy way. I won’t insult anyone as me myself belong to the community.
[Why should I choose you?] a. The concept could be interesting for some audience. And might even be a tiny little bit helpful for consciousness of equal rights.
b. To help me do better and become a better version of myself. I’m 100% sure I’m not the best, neither is my work. But I really cherish this opportunity, as it’s actually life-changing. At the beginning of the semester, I knew nothing about physical computing, and electric circuit and coding scares me. But now, here I am, building a project and apply for showing it. I really wish I could bring one of my work to SIGGRAPH, which I only participated as student volunteer before. Winter show would be a ideal start for me. As I told Rob when applying floor staff: I think I could do better when I have the responsibility to take care of others. Now I’m good at shop related things as a staff. I hope I could do better when I can hear from audiences from different background.

[How can you make sure you’ll be ready?]
It is still under construction right now. But I’ve figured out how to do it for every part of it. The hardest part is getting the right components to make the conveyor, and I’ve got them and found a tutorial that I’m following. And I talked to Hao(2nd year who made a conveyor), PP(also made conveyor before), Rubin, Jingwen and everyone that can help me. I’m sure it’ll be ready to show before the deadline, as I don’t want to lose this opportunity.

Classes

Introduction to Physical Computing ITPG-GT.2301.007, Intro to Fabrication

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Water Synth

Jarone A Wright, Melissa Parker

A waterfall that plays notes when you pass your hand under it.

http://www.mejiasparker.com/2016/11/27/final-project-the-water-synth/

Description

A waterfall that functions as a musical instrument. When the user passes their hand under the waterfall, notes will play. The note will be sustained as long as they keep their hand in the same position. It will be possible to play chords or intervals (multiple notes at once) using both hands.

We wanted to experiment with an interface that used water. Because we're using distance sensors to detect the users hands, the instrument technically still works without any water in the system. However, tactile feedback is an important part of a musical instrument. The water also offers an important visual cue to the user. Finally, there's something really playful about splashing around in water and making music.

Classes

Introduction to Physical Computing ITPG-GT.2301.006