UbiComp – Ambient Orb

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This is a simple glass lamp that uses colour to show values such as weather forecasts, trends in the market or traffic conditions.

Possibly the best feature of this is its design; simple, sleek, attractive and useable (A nice desk feature?). Whilst this isn’t too much different from the Data Fountain i posted about earlier, I think its simplistic design is worth showcasing – especially as it has sprouted some ideas for the project in my head.

Constraints: I think the strongest flaw with this is its limitation in providing the information – the difference in colour can only give you so much. Which raises a question in general; looks/novelty over fundamental-functionality.

UbiGroup – Transforming Your Shadow…

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A real-time system that transforms shadows on a floor into colorful visual media. This
system is based on the effect of complementary colors and multi-projection techniques. By exactly calibrating the system geometrically and photometrically, the system makes it possible to display images such as texture animation, colorful pictures, text, and live videos in shadows without any digitized artifact or latency.

I think this would be absolutely great for an Art Gallery, with the potential for it to be an educational system for kids that teaches fundamentals of colour, or really anything. The offered technology involved gives this work a lot of potential to be a versatile boat for a an exhibit theme.

Constraints: Upon further study of the article it would be foolish to turn a blind eye on the complexity involved in the setup of this project. In regards to the IAG space and its irregular floorspace-shape this would potentially hinder any attempts to setup a more than basic setup with projectors. This is something that will have to be looked into, especially whilst visiting the gallery next.

UbiComp – Cochira Nav System

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A simple to use navigational system for railway stations which only requires you to touch a Suica card on it for it to litterly ‘point’ you in the right direction. Accompanying it is a touch-panel display to also help guide you to your desired destination.

As you can see by the picture the ‘pointer’ arrow is a rather comedic feature to it, and this was intended by the creators to add a bit of novelty to the whole idea itself. Though despite that, at the same time the concept is an extremely easy & simple process for people to use. This could easily be used as a navigational tool in the museum to direct the public to the exhzibit they wish to see. It oculd also be used as part of a game in which the arrow helps users find certain artifacts around the space.

Constraints: All together this project is a rather water-tight concept, the only constraint I could think of is the pointer has a rather limited array of dimensions to work in – things such as walls could be a problem in terms of navigation. Also in general I’m presuming the space given to us is strictly all we will get and once again, limited space is a problem!

UbiComp – Digitally Augmented Collectibles

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This project extends the functionality of collector’s items beyond simple exzibition and incorporates unobtrusively into a user’s environment. It offers a simple interface to access item-specific information and establishes an emotional bond by playing item-related multimedia.

This concept works well in terms of providing a strong connection and interaction experience with the public and the piece itself. The first idea I thought with using this concept would be to help people understand a certain artist through artifacts involved in their life. In fact this would of been gold for studio4!

Constraints: The public, more so children, can not really be trusted at times – and the artificats as ‘floating’ ‘independent’ pieces of media could easily be misplaced or damaged.

UbiComp – iBar

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This idea would have to be a personal favourite of mine and I’d also have to admit I first saw it off Damien’s Blog Thanks damo, mad pic of you on there by the way!

The iBar is an interactive design for supposively any bar. Objects in contact can be illuminated in their position on the bar or virtual objects can be “touched” with your fingers.

The technology involved is very dynamic and they propose they can install it into any bar – with possibilities to flex and adjust the involved software.

I have naturally taken a keen interest into this project due to its ’sexy’ artistic feature and the related nightclub/bar theme – to which I have involved in another studio before. In regards to appealing to the general public of the IAG I think the whole concept would prove both entertaining and artistically appealing if it was implamented into a more related feature.

Constraints: Firstly in regards to this project the name defineatly wouldn’t be used because i’m so sick of people sticking an ‘i’ in front of things for a name of something technologically innovative. More importantly, a constraint I can see in this project and what ever we do with the IAG space in general is relevance. We must make sure what ever we do – there is a connection between our piece, the public and the Ipswich Art Gallery. Possibly something to do with Ipswich would be an interesting theme we could incorporate?

UbiComp – The Data Fountain

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The fundamental idea behind this project was to re-think water fountains as potential information displays.

In this case they developed a live mapping system of money currency rates to the propulsion rate of water jets in a group of fountains. The rate of the Yen, Euro & Dollar were each represented in their own water fountain.

The concept of providing useful information through abstract surroundings I found to be a very smart idea and a strong novelty to any general public.

Limitations: Space would be the biggest problem, as a lot of ‘catchment’ space would be needed for the falling water – this, we do not have in the space given at the Gallery. This is possibly the biggest obstacle to conquor in this project and that is ‘fitting’ our idea into the physical space involved!

COMP3000 – Lecture 1

Lecture 1, naturally was an overview of the semester ahead. Discussing what was to be covered over the semester and the assesment items involved. These included

• Ubiquitous Computing (Ubicomp)
• Major Project of developing an interactive installation in the Ipswich Art Gallery
• Group and Individual Work involved in the Semester

I am certainly looking forward to the challenges ahead in this course and the theme of combining Interactive Media and Art as a major assignment. Lets just hope I’ve had enough Wheet-Bix to think up some good ideas for it!

First Post

This is a test post. Quite dissapointed you can’t directly edit the CSS or anything in your page, unless you cough up some money which I never do. So this layout will have to do.