Presentation

We had our final pitch/presentation today.

The above video is one we used in the presentation.

you can see the full presentation here:
https://docs.google.com/PresentationEditor?id=dhgd7xsz_35fsz32ccs

Presentation Preparation

The group have met up to prepare our final pitch for our final year project. Thanks to Sile our presentation will hopefully turn out good.

We have discussed technical issues that may arise such as:
Scale issues with Dome
Web cam positioning
Acoustics

We seem to have more of a grasp of how we will create our installation technically and theoretically.

See presentation: https://docs.google.com/PresentationEditor?id=dhgd7xsz_35fsz32ccs

Artist Studios - House The Dome

Sile: Have been speaking with Irish company who supply security mirrors regarding the coating. Am still cross referencing with company in Australia to establish if a polycarbonate mirror will work the same as polymer coated acrylic mirror. Still awaiting response.

Have been doing alot of phoning and email around Artist Studio spaces to try and secure studio space and some exhibition space for May 2008. Some obviously have a lenghty residency selection program with loads of paper work, but some are surprisingly easy to secure.

Very positive feedback from the curator for Red Stables in St Annes Park regarding an exhibition of our installation in May, but not for studio space as their studios are too small to facilitate a 15ft Dome!

Useful Link with details of independant Art Houses http://www.irish-art.com/irishartgroups.php

See list of spaces i've contacted:

The Red Stables, St. Anne’s Park, Mount Prospect Avenue, Dublin 3.
Telephone 01-2227377
Web: http://www.dublincity.ie/living_in_the_city/culture/red_stables_artists_studio/
Email: red.stables@dublincity.ie
Contact Name: Kelly O'Connor

(spoke to Kelly, one of the curators, regarding exhibition space in May 2008, )
studio space is not possible due to size of installation, was very possitive regarding exhibiting in May and
wants to get some multimedia exhibitions in as up to now has been maily 2D stuff
___________________________________________________________________
Pallas Studios, Dublin.
Telephone 01-8561404
Web: http://www.pallasstudios.org
Email: info@pallasstudios.org
Contact Name: Gavin (mailed regarding studio and exhibition space in May 2008)
____________________________________________________________________
Temple Bar Gallery, Dublin 2.
Telephone: 01 671 0073
Web: http://www.templebargallery.com/
Contact Name: None given (Fully booked for 2008 both studio and exhibition space!)
____________________________________________________________________
Stoney Batter Studios, 32 North Brunswick Street, Dublin 7, Ireland
Telephone: none given
Web: http://www.stoneybatterstudio.com/about.htm
Email: info@stoneybatterstudio.com
Contact Name: none given (mailed regarding studio and exhibition space in May 2008)
____________________________________________________________________
Common Place, 10 Burgh Quay, Dublin 2.
Telephone: non given
Web: http://www.commonplace.ie/
Email: commonplaceamateur@gmail.com
Contact Name: none given (mailed regarding studio and exhibition space in May 2008)
_____________________________________________________________________
Firestation Studios, 9-11, Lower Buckingham Street, Dublin, 1.
Telephone: 01-8556735
Web: http://www.firestation.ie
Email: Query submission on site only
Contact Name: None given (mailed regarding studio and exhibition space in May 2008)
_______________________________________________________________________
La Catedral Studios, Dublin.
Telephone: none given
Web: http://www.lacatedralstudios.org/
Email: art@lacatedralstudios.org
Contact Name: None given (mailed regarding studio and exhibition space in May 2008)
_______________________________________________________________________
Monster Truck Studio and Gallery, No.73, Francis St, Dublin 8
Telephone: Colm @ +353 86 385 9019 or Peter @ +353 87 759 8294
Web: http://www.monstertruck.ie/
Email: info@monstertruck.ie
Contact Name: Colm Mac Athlaoich and Peter Prendergast (mailed regarding studio and exhibition space in May 2008)
_______________________________________________________________________
Talbot Gallery and Studios, 51 Talbot Street, Dublin 1
Telephone: 01-8556599
Web: http://www.talbotgallery.com/
E-mail: info@talbotgallery.com
Contact Name: Elaine Grainger (mailed regarding studio and exhibition space in May 2008)

Dome Logistics

Met up in Stephen's apartment and worked out the logistics of the dome, camera angles, users area of movement for interaction.

Dome Equipment

Sile: Further research into Equipment. Have been in correspondance with Paul Bourke, UWA re mirrors and dome projection, and have potentially sourced a company that does the correct mirror through manufacturers in Denmark.

Mood Enhancement/ Colour Psychology/ Colour Therapy

Further research by all group member into synesthesia, mood enhancement/alteration, colour psychology and colour therapy. Read up on origins of physical interfaces.

Sile - research into digital abstract art. Some interesting sites and food for though:

Digital Abstract Art
http://www.withdigitaleyes.com/pgs/abstract.htm especially http://www.withdigitaleyes.com/pgs/ab/chakra.htm in terms of mood representation.
http://www.contemporaryfurniture.com/Catalog/Categories/Categories_40_All.asp (good for inspiration on how to create abstract environments)
http://www.digitalabstract.com/ (also has some inspiring poetry and word plays)
Actual Physical Enviroment
Also thought more about how we can use light to enhance the enviroment i.e. position lights so multiple shadows are cast possible creating a feeling of not being alone? see http://gadgetshow.five.tv/features/s4e9_interfacedevices03_400.jpg

Immersive Enviroments
- corner projection
- http://www.vis.uky.edu/assets/Images/Research_Images/immersive.jpg not too sure how this works but could just be projection onto perspex?
- fish eye projection and more, great examples of immersive enviroments!
-dome projection - http://local.wasp.uwa.edu.au/~pbourke/projection/domemirror/

Kieran - http://www.interactivearchitecture.org/portfolio/performativeecologies.html Installation which analyses to the viewer's reactions and adjusts itself accordingly.

Irish Museum of Modern Art - Field Trip

  


Went to IMMA for some inspiration. Not much to see interactive wise, maybe a niche in the market?

Had a 2 hour meeting in library: went over a few alternative ideas which always resulted in the group referring back to the topic of
'mood reflection/enhancer' with in a room.

Showed the group a video to see what we could achieve aesthetically:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=hWGUnrIiOoI

'Moods'

Phil: Found this website linking all of Todd Winkler's publications:
http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Music/sites/winkler//papers/index.html
Had one hour brainstorm. One thing that came out of it was the word Synesthesia and its relationship to 'Moods'.

Another New Group Member!

Philip Lam joins our group due to a shared interest in developing a synaesthesia-based art installation and Max/MSP.

Mini Project Presentation

We presented our minor project to the class. We got cut off before we were finished but made our point successfully and clearly.
We submitted the exec document, which was written up by Síle and a short 7-minute movie.

See it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNoikl1wn6M

Opera Singer Visuals

Síle has completed the video for the fat opera singing lady. -Thumbs Up!
The Curtains were also completed.

Making a theremin with Arduino:
http://www.cornersound.com/index.php/2007/05/07/making-a-theremin-with-arduino/

In production of Minor project all week.

Opera Singer

Continuation from yesterday re: tutorials & fine tuning etc
Sile created some test models for opera singer in C4D & Flash
Decided on Comedic "South Park" style 2D video -- to be animated and completed for test run on Monday
(Opera singer performing scale, controlled by sensor)

Mini Project Finalized

Continue with tutorials
Finalized idea for mini-project based on results up to now, and potential for further development
Sile began creating draft videos for potential use in mini project
Kieran & Stephen focused on fine tuning sensors responses and potentiometers

Tutorials & Max Research

Group meeting in College
Got multiple potentiometers working in Max
We all worked on tutorials
Tutorials - controlled things with Video
Read Max Fundamentals Documents

Reading Week

Group meeting in college.

Temperature Sensor

Stephen:
Experimented with the Thermistor (temperature monitor).

Used: The "smoothing" tutorial on arduino.cc to read values into the serial monitor of Arduino software.
Wired it up using the LDR schematic I linked to on the 30th of October.

Experience: not very sensitive to general room temperature, but very sensitive to high temperatures, i.e. fire.
My reasoning:
These are designed for use within systems that get VERY VERY hot, e.g inside a computer. When a certain temp is reached, it shuts down.

A digital temp monitor would probably be much better for our application, like this one on sparkfun.com. http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=245

The Dome Environment

Group met up to progress exisiting ideas. Finalised on a interactive installation housed within a dome environment. Discussed visability issues regarding camera angles etc.

Arduino communicates with Max

Stephen:
Got Arduino to communicate Analog values into Max/MSP.
Can use values from sensors to control audio, video, effects etc.
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVokcAjhbk8

Light Sensors, Breadboards, Potentiometers, LED's etc...

Useful Links:
http://www.ladyada.net/learn/arduino/ - Some basic Arduino tutorials.
http://www.arduino.cc/playground/Learning/Tutorials - More tutorials.
http://itp.nyu.edu/physcomp/Tutorials/Tutorials - Uh, yeah, more tutorials.
http://dma.ucla.edu/senselab/node/350 - How to get an LED turning on with a button.
http://www.arduino.cc/playground/Learning/LEDSensor - Use an LED as a sensor.

Went into town today and got Potentiometers, Breadboards, thermistors, Phototransistors, jump leads, LEDs

Stephen:
Found some tutorials in hooking up a light sensor but it seems we need a light-dependant resistor (LDR) instead of a phototransistor.
Here's a little schematic... http://www.libelium.com/squidbee/index.php?title=Adding_a_light_sensor
It states here that it'll read values from the analog input... 0-1023 - SUPER SENSITIVE!
A video demonstrating the sensitivity of an LDR. http://youtube.com/watch?v=pXtD9wx7mjc It's mad !!! :)

Arduino Arrived!

Received Arduino Boards

MaxMsp & Arduino

Downloaded and installed Max/MSP for Mac. Only 40MB. 30 day trial. Costs $59 for a 9-month student licence. download link

"Arduino Diecimilia" is the name of the board we are using. It's the latest version. Initally thought we'd buy from Sparkfun.com, but they are based in the US.
Maybe pcb-europe.net is a better place. Based in Italy. (Where Arduino is made) €22 each. Quicker Shipping?

More info at arduino.cc Tutorials, blog, exhibition, etc.

Electronic Inputs

Interesting Links:
http://www.pixelsumo.com/ - this is a site with loads of cool projects
http://www.pingmag.jp/ - another cool site, make of it what you will.

Further research into electronic inputs and sensors online i.e. equiptment - sensor boards etc. The group has decided to invest in 3 sensor boards to begin prototyping.

Brain Storming Session

Continued idea brainstorming and online research into exisiting installations/physical interfaces.

Some Ideas included:
Pyrspects screen with projection of life sized mirror image of user. LED lights/motion sensors allow user to trace their own image. Screen diveded into grids so that one area can be zoomed in on for more detailed tracing.
Outdoor installation with long-term progression. Subject will be affected by both outdoor elements i.e. temperature, light, percipitation tec, along with human interaction, detected through temperature, light and motion sensors and solar power etc. Subject will grow/progress depending on the level of interactive components, project will start with two identical prototypes in two different enviroments to show how the subject interacts and progresses depending on input elements.
Walled projection in dark room, with illusion of light created through LED/Motion sensors, to reveal some kind of world/images created to the medium of video/animation.

New Group Member

Group was joined by a third member - Síle Brehony.

Discussed common interests and abilities in relation to what direction we want to take the project. All three of us agreed that we would like to create a piece that has a physical presence outside of a monitor and keyboard.

Discussed further possibilities regarding the use of touch tone screens, voice/audio and light recognition. All group members will brainstorm and think about possible ideas for a concept, to be ready for Panel Presentation - Monday 15th Oct.

Physical Interfacing

Discussed the use of PIC microcontrollers, LED Lights, light sensors, sound sensors, Tilt sensors etc. and combining it all into a USB HID device.

Initial Resources - via hackedgadgets.com

How to build a USB device - click here
How to build a simple electric motor - click here
Autonomous Blimp (IR Sensor) - click here
How to build Microcontroller projects (a lecture) - here

First Meeting

First proper meeting regarding the game. Spent some time in the library looking at past project. Projects that applied to us were:

Brand New Page AKA BlowAway
Reminiscence
Shadow Realms
Hyperion

We spoke to Declan Tuite about our Project at we were encouraged to pursue developing a custom control interface alá BlowAway.
The Justification behind this was that large commercial corporations would not invest money into researching something like this