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Cosmic Harp

Sid Chou, Louise Lessel

Inspired by an armillary sphere, the two concentric circles make up the laser harp instrument and allows the user to play sound decided by satellite data.

http://www.louiselessel.com

Description

The Cosmic Harp is an instrument that allows the user to play abstractions of satellite data. The harp is designed with inspiration the Armillary sphere used in astrology in the 16th century.

Designed as a futuristic-looking midi instrument, and using lasers instead of strings, the harp plays with notions of the new and the old. It is equipped with an accelerometer to measure the rotation of the user’s interaction with the instrument, and thus inspires a new investigation of how to play a harp.

The inner circle rotates and creates patterns in the sound when swung around. The outer circle allows the user to play more traditional harp strings.

By Louise Lessél and Sid Chou

Classes

Introduction to Physical Computing

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The invisible bird

Tanic Nakpresha, Yuguang Zhang

How long we’ve been trapped in these cages that we built ?

https://www.nicktanic.com/blog/2018/12/5/itp-winter-show-2018

Description

We think we are the owner of our thoughts. But the truth is, our thoughts
have been unconsciously influenced by the social groups that we share a sense of unity.

The invisible bird is an interactive sculpture that uses computer algorithm to analyze various topics on Twitter and allows the viewer to guess what public’s attitudes about those topics are.In this way, we hope people to realize that there are invisible cages of thoughts that we’re living in, and how long we’ve been trapped in these cages that we built. 

Classes

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

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Soft Steen

Rachel Lim

A soft, small scale interactive reproduction of Jan Steen's painting, "As the Old Sing, So Pipe the Young"

https://

Description

This project was inspired by Jan Steen's dynamic and humorous paintings and my desire to share my excitement about his works. The painting my project is referencing, “As the Old Sing, So Pipe the Young”, depicts a family raucously celebrating a baby's baptism and is punctuated with moralizing symbols and gestures that imply Steen meant to warn the viewer rather than invite them to copy the family's behavior.
As a small (size of printer paper), simplified soft reproduction, I intended to have this serve as a gentle and friendly introduction to Steen's work and 17th century Dutch paintings, which are abundant in historical motifs and symbolism. It will not be an extremely detailed as I feel accuracy may feel intimidating or too reminiscent of actual artworks at a museum. I'd like to keep it loose (the fabrics in the video are rough outlines!) and simple to keep it playful and create a more inviting appearance.
The symbols in this particular painting (a dog, a hat, a pipe, and a pot), are removed and act almost like puzzle pieces, which the user must correctly place within the painting. Once it is placed, supplementary text and audio on an iPad next to it will explain it's significance and provide context. Its setup is intended to mimic the way artworks are hung at museums/galleries, which have the work and informative text next to it. When all the pieces are put together, the figure at the center of the painting will raise her wine goblet and congratulatory text will appear on the iPad screen to signify that the painting has been completed.

Classes

Introduction to Physical Computing

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Conducting Paintings

Chenyu Sun, Nianqi Zhang, Yunze Shi

Conducting the painting — an integrated interactive way to appreciate paintings

https://wp.nyu.edu/nianqi/2018/12/05/pcomp-finalworking-in-progress/

Description

In this project, we want to offer a different approach to appreciate landscape paintings.

We will create an sound interface for user to interact with a Chinese Landscape and an Landscape oil painting through the baton.

The baton will trigger the sound reflecting the elements in the paintings. Also the music will change based on the movement of the baton.

On the music shelf, users will be able to choose between 2 pages of music notes. When page selected, users will be able to interact with the painting which the page reflected.

Classes

Introduction to Physical Computing

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Tinkle

Shu-Ju Lin, Suzanne Li

Installation of a toilet that emotes.

https://medium.com/@sl7211/winter-show-2018-b658bee02a2e

Description

It is not enough just to disconnect. What is needed is more reflection in spaces we inhabit every day such as the most frequented: the bathroom. The incongruity between form (toilet) and content (toilet narrating) can be light-hearted wit, and potentially be a catalyst for thinking. The experience of our reformed toilet experience will elicit intimate and curious thoughts in participants.

Classes

Introduction to Physical Computing

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Access

Son Luu

Access to meaningful interaction has no limitation.

https://sondluu.wixsite.com/itpblog/blogposts/final-project-2-update-2

Description

A visual and sound experience, where Person A controls the sound effects experienced by Person B. In return, B controls A’s visual elements. Then the two can swap positions. For a short few minutes, while losing control one’s own sensibility, he/she provides the other person access to a unique experience. He/she is responsible for what the other senses, sees, hears, etc.

Classes

Comm Lab: Video and Sound, Introduction to Computational Media, Introduction to Physical Computing

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Garden

Julia Rich, Stefan Skripak

Interactive garden that invites viewers to touch and discover.

https://

Description

We present our interactive garden project we are lovingly calling Garden. Our goal with Garden was to design a tangibly stimulating playground. Inspired by experience in arts education for children, Garden was designed by Skripak and Rich for a young audience. We love the way discovery takes a tangible form for children and wanted to create an experience with as many textures as possible. We invite viewers to touch each piece of the fully fabricated set to discover the hidden ways the garden moves. We sculpted, took molds, and cast nine fungi out of resin and silicone. The cave, log, and all rocks and pebbles are made from a mixture of recycled paper and glue that turn into an almost concrete substance. Each flower, blade of grass, and creature is handcrafted from different fabrics with distinct scents added to many. We have four main interactions, some with more complex time-related variable than others. We have a plot of grass that moves wind through bushes when you run your hands through it. if you pick up a rock, glow worms will begin a countdown and creature will pop out of a hole if you wait long enough. If you push on the big fungus one by one smaller fungi will light up until we reach a grove of flowers. There is a creature in a cave that if you move quickly towards, will run away and hide, but if you approach it slowly, it will allow you to pet it. We are really excited to watch viewers interact with the garden and are excited by the opportunity to present it to many more.

Classes

Introduction to Physical Computing

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Sit, Please

Carol Chen, Zhe Wang

When you sit in a chair, does the chair fit you, or do you conform to the chair?

https://

Description

This project inverts your relationship with a chair, and invites you to invent new ways to interact with a chair. In trying to “please” the chair by sitting in a way that conforms to its own rules, we lose control of our own bodies. The chair shapes our body, instead of serving our body. On top that, we want the participants to get silly, awkward, and be entertained by their weird poses and the absurdity of this inverted relationship.

The interaction starts when participants see this chair waving its two hands from a distance. They come close and learn that they can only make it quiet and obedient like a normal chair by sitting on it and conforming to its own rules. The participant needs to cover the flashing spots on the chair, but at the same time avoid the non-flashing spots. The arrangement of the flashing and non-flashing spots is contradicting the natural human sitting pose, and forces people to twist their bodies, stretch their limbs, and completely lose control of their own body to make the chair quiet. Once they finally made the chair happy, it's quite satisfying, but after a few seconds it will change its rules and require you to sit by a new set of rules.

Classes

Introduction to Physical Computing, Introduction to Physical Computing

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36 out of 100

Veronica Alfaro

Interactive data representation of 36 stories from women who have experienced physical and / or sexual violence from an intimate partner at some time in their life.

https://www.veronica-alfaro.com/blog/2018/11/28/36-out-of-100-women-enclosure

Description

36% of women in the US have experienced physical and/or sexual violence from an intimate partner at some time in their life and 13% of women in the US agree that a husband/partner is justified in beating his wife/partner under certain circumstances.

Feelings of guilt and shame (among other reasons) encourage them to remain silent and as survivors it is difficult to open up and share the experiences lived. There are many untold stories and my intention is to provide a voice in order to share some of them in an anonymous and intimate way.

The installation consist on a switchboard that contains a visualization of 100 women represented with circles, 36 of them will have jacks that will play a story when the user connects a phone (1 story per each jack).

Initially the audio of the instructions and the narration of the data will come out of speakers connected to the computer and when the user pick up the phone, the audio will pause so that the user can plug the phone into one jack of their choice, the audio then will come out of the telephone as a way to tell the story in a more personal and individualized way. The user will be able to change the connection to another jack at any time and when they put the telephone back to its “holder”, the instructions audio will start playing again from the speakers.

The content shared in each story might be a trigger to some users therefore I will create a content warning. The data that is being represented comes from a study made by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development on 2014 about women in the US however the intention of the project is not to exclude women identifying, transgender, and gender-nonconforming individuals.

Classes

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

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Jane

Ming Pu Shao, Ada Jiang, Wannapa Pokakunkanon

An interactive and immersive sound experience of a future therapy program guided by artificial intelligence, Jane

https://editor.p5js.org/ada10086/sketches/HyQ0lEOyE

Description

Jane is a future AI therapy program. It has largely improved the emotional states of the population. However, through learning human emotions during sessions, Jane has encountered some issues with certain people who do not respond positively to the program. As Jane is programmed to help people rid of negative emotions, she developed a highly advanced technology that will put them into an eternal slumber and their minds will be uploaded to a world where they will live a perfect life where everything will be just as they want them to be. Everything in this new world, their sole purpose of existing is to make them happy.
Interaction: User signs waiver before the session. During the session, user will face the decision of whether to have his “mind uploaded” to the perfect world, or to shut down the program using the emergency deactivation instruction provided. Depending on which path the user takes, Jane will produce different results.

Classes

Introduction to Physical Computing