This is MIT Media Lab's open house and we show our latest demos, ideas, research. Adam Kumpf impressed all of us with the Trackmate initiative, an open source system he designed to create an inexpensive, do-it-yourself tangible tracking system.
For over 20 years researchers have been looking at ways to go beyond the mouse and keyboard to interact with computers. One of the most promising areas has been tangible user interfaces; physical objects directly coupled with digital information. These new interfaces have typically required expensive technologies and complex installation procedures, limiting them to the context of specialized research labs and museums.
Trackmate is an open source initiative to create an inexpensive, do-it-yourself tangible tracking system. The Trackmate Tracker allows any computer to recognize tagged objects and their corresponding position, rotation, and color information when placed on a surface. Trackmate sends all object data via LusidOSC (a protocol layer for unique spatial input devices), allowing any LusidOSC-based application to work with the system.
Adam designed a special barcode system that allows the object to be detected when rotated. It is pretty neat as it allows not only to distinguish between objects (280 trillion unique IDs are possible), but to be able to identify their rotation.
This opens a world of application and my next project will make use of this brilliant technology. The project is open source and its components can be downloaded here.
Video
Trackmate :: 5 ways to get started from adam kumpf on Vimeo.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Do it yourself tangible systems!
Sunday, October 05, 2008
DIY, this new black!
DIY is the new black for the gaming industry which has adopted not only the DIY but also the craft culture in its new game for Playstation 3, Little Big Planet. In little big planet, users create their characters (their mascot) with textures, zippers, colors, attitudes and their own levels, events, design their difficulties and can then share their designs with their peers and play online.
The level creation is the most intriguing, because you got to design triggers and events like switches and buttons. It can be pretty simple if it is just to open a door to the next level but pretty rad ;) when designing a multi-phase boss fight against millions of tech spiders! Also the sharing component is pretty elaborate as other users can rate your game and offer descriptive keywords to your creation, from "brilliant" to "repetitive". So be sure to invite the right friends who can understand your style!!! You can also invite guest mascot stars! Isn't that amazing?!
You are only allowed to create 3 levels that you share on the server side. If on the server the company deems that you are good at creating levels, you can then create some more. If the company decides that your levels are not good enough, then you are stuck and you need to cancel these levels until you are being granted the right to create some more! So that is interesting because it shows that the company is afraid that users aren't gonna design levels good enough and that this game relies heavily on people's ability to create neat levels. If users are not gonna create brilliant designs, then this will be a failure because it only comes with 3 small levels ... This is like a creation suite for gamers that welcome creative individuals into playing, creating and sharing! I cannot wait to try it. If only they would send a free copy to designers, they would have great levels designed!!
In the meantime, here is a video of the trailer:
Friday, September 19, 2008
Low cost wearable sensor for detecting Electromagnetic fields
My work "Electromagnetic Field Detector Bracelet" has been accepted as a video. The video will be presented at Ubicomp in Seoul South Korea during the one minute madness Monday 22nd and during the video reception 17:15 - 19:00!
Abstract of the work
We present the design of a cost-effective wearable sensor to detect and indicate the strength and other characteristics of the electric field emanating from a laptop display. Our bracelet can provide an immediate awareness of electric fields radiated from an object used frequently. Our technology thus supports awareness of ambient background emanation beyond human perception. We discuss how detection of such radiation might help to “fingerprint” devices and aid in applications that require determination of indoor location.
Come see me to talk about this work! If you cannot make it, here is the video:
A bit of motivation for this work
Today, many people fear electromagnetic fields. They believe that ambient fields can negatively influence their health. Perhaps, by visualizing the presence of common electromagnetic (EM) fields, users might feel in control of difficult-to-perceive information and transcend their fear, beginning the process of recognizing and moving beyond fear. An analogy might be found in the cheap RF power meters that are sold to enable people to gauge radiation leakage from their microwave ovens. Conversely, providing users with blind data could increase their paranoia when low-level field leakage from common appliances is visualized. Clearly, people need to be educated in how to properly interpret this data. Regardless of one’s belief on the health impact of background EM fields, visualizing the unseen in this way always leads to fascinating and playful exploration. All devices emit background signals (electrostatically, magnetically, acoustically, and optically) that are characteristic of particular devices and also sometimes indicate that device’s mode of operation. Indeed, government contracts mandate that computers and displays used in highly classified work be kept in shielded rooms (SCIFs) to thwart espionage that monitors such background leakage fields.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Physical Heart in a Virtual Body
My friend Amit Zoran, from the Ambient Intelligence group at MIT Media Lab, continued his work on structural innovation, re-designing acoustic musical instrument according to the abilities and characteristics of rapid prototype materials. Together with Pattie Maes and Marco Coppiardi, they created a new generation of physical instruments by tailoring wooden hearts. The wooden pieces are inserted in body of the guitar to give the instrument the desired sound identity.
Watch the video of the resonator ->here<-
Amit changing the physical heart of his guitar
can traditional values be embedded into a digital object? in this project we implement a special guitar that combines physical acoustic properties with virtual capabilities. The acoustical values will be embodied by a wooden heart - a unique, replaceable piece of wood that will give the guitar a unique acoustic sound. The acoustic signal created by this wooden heart will be digitally processed in a virtual sound box in order to create flexible sound design.
His research will be presented at Nime 2008 this summer.
His paper is ->here<-
His presentation is ->here<-
Posted by Cati Vaucelle @ Architectradure
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Imprint digital functions onto common everyday physical objects
Amphibian allows users to easily imprint digital functions onto common everyday physical objects. Amphibian is a low cost, low infrastructure system that enables users to choose their own physical objects and imprint onto them almost any standard interface functions that take place on a GUI desktop. The goal of Amphibian is to create a system that the common user can implement and operate so that we may learn more about the digital-physical object relationships people will form.
So basically, you take an object, put it on the amphibian scale, and it labels it automatically for you. You can associate data to that object through the Amphibian user interface. Anytime you want to retrieve the data associated with that object, you just put it back on the scale. As for applications, you can play music from your itunes library with forks and spoons, you can write am email by composing with color pens, e.g. a red pen on the Amphibian scale and you say "I miss you!". A very unique take on labeling objects!
You can download the software for free ->here<- with all the instructions on how to DIY!
Enjoy!
Monday, May 12, 2008
DIY videos by young artists
New Urban Arts is a nationally recognized interdisciplinary arts studio for high school students and emerging artists that promotes youth voice, collaboration, and self-directed learning toward a lifelong creative practice. It provides studio, exhibition space, and mentoring for young artists who explore the visual, performing, and literary arts through yearlong free out-of-school programs. Founded in 1997, New Urban Arts serves 125 high school students in the Providence Public High Schools and 15 artists each year. They have been named one of fifty premiere arts and youth development programs in the country for four consecutive years.
Discovered on Zones of Emergency, New Urban Arts offers online videos for DIY explorations. For instance How to Screenprint? How To Sew A Ruffle? or How to make a silicone Mold (below):
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Blog Jouons 
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Design a multi touch pad in 15 min
I love this type of video tutorial. Here is a tutorial on how to make your own multi touch pad in 15 minutes using a web cam, cardboard box, a piece of glass and software. I think some regular ambient light is needed! Also the next step, not the least difficult, is to have the software running. The idea is when you place you fingers on the surface, you create shadows with your fingers. The webcam detects these shadows, sends the image to the tracking software to track the shadows as they move around.
Below are some basic info to start:
Materials
* Cardboard Box
* Piece of Clear Flat Sturdy Material (ie. Glass, acrylic, plexiglas)
* Paper (ie. printer paper, tracing paper, almost any paper)
* Webcam or Video Camera
* Computer
* Optional Picture Frame
Finger Tracking Software
* Touchlib Beta v2: - Written by David Wallen
* Download, unzip and copy the config.xml into your touchlib directory
More by AudioTouch - Via.
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Blog Jouons
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
DIY: A latte art printing machine!
I posted on bread laser printing, fruit printing, computer etching, 3d printing your own guitar, printing your clothing (a next step for TUI), and also about the secret-spying marks left by your printer as you print!
Today, I found this wacky and so cooool tutorial on how to make your own latte art printing machine. Oleskiy Pikalo wanted art work on his latte, so he bought a x-y flatbed plotter (Philips 8155) on eBay and a great book by Matt Gilliland: “Inkjet Applications”!
Here is the result, see the video!
He offers a tutorial on how to build something like this, here you go, so you need (I quote him):
1) An old flatbed plotter (in my case it was Philips 8155) - make sure it has real x-y translation stage. Your best bet is to perform a search on eBay for flatbed plotter. On a good day, you may get a decent fully working plotter for under 100$. I got mine for 175$ with shipping, because I wanted A3 format for later use, and a bunch of pens.
2) Most old plotters connect through GPIB/Serial interface -mine connected through GPIB interface, so I needed a GPIB card, which I also got on eBay. I got my card for around 30$, because the one I purchased was not a popular kind (LTP1 - GPIB).
3) Matt Gilliland’s book Inkjet Applications. It looks like Parallax has this fabulous kit on 40% sale for 59.95$
4) A small 12V relay (my plotter lowers pen by applying 12V to the solenoid). This relay will enable the stream of ink from the inkjet cartridge.
5 ) Edible ink - preferably brown. You can work with coffee directly instead of ink, but the contrast is not as good as wwith ink. Again, I got mine on eBay.
Good luck!
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Blog Jouons
Monday, March 10, 2008
Techy flower
The Moonlit Flower is a DIY project that combines tech to sewing skills.
As you close the flower' snaps, the flower lights up! Proposed as part of the tech DIY web site, the project teaches basic knowledge of electricity and circuits and how to make a shiny and twinkle]y-twinkly “Moonlit Flower"! The site offers many other DIY tutorials combining technology to crafting. So everybody (including boys), enjoy!!!
This work reminds me of Elisabeth Sylvan's research in 2005 on Ejewels. Participants used a combination of basic electronics materials and basic craft materials to create jewelry with lights that glow, flash, and change color.
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Blog Jouons
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Floating DIY robotic species
Blubber Bots are floating DIY robotic species that navigate autonomously and intelligently. Blubber Bots float, dance, seek and sing. They are light-seeking hellium-filled balloons that graze the landscape in search of light and cellphone signals. Designed into the inflatable form is a set of light sensors enabling them to seek out the brightest light source. They are also equipped with a phone flasher and can recognize cellphone activity. You can interact with a Blubber Bot by making a call and waving your phone near it. In response, it will go into a flocking dance or sing you a special tune.
Posted by Cati Vaucelle @ Architectradure.............................................................................................
Monday, February 04, 2008
DIY music box
Traditional musical boxes normally have a single tune (unless you have an advanced version with different cylinders). But in this case, the music box, which is hand cranked, has a strip of paper that passes through it, and the little holes in this strip determine the tune. The Music Box comes with one strip of paper already punched with the tune 'Brahms Lullaby'. There are then 2 blank strips of paper and a hole punch, which will allow you to create tunes of your own! It makes for a fun and interactive way to learn and create music. The Music Box has a two octave range, and can play chords, not just single notes.
Posted by Cati Vaucelle
♥ Architectradure
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