Gadgets for Ineractivity

Howdy y'all. I know some of you (including myself actually) are interested in ways in which we can add a bit of interactivity to our digital media projects. This doesn't have to be extremely expensive. In most cases we can take a solution meant for a practical application and mold it into something that suits our needs. Thankfully, there is a lot of open source software on the net that can help us with this.

For motion sensing, it's possible to use a standard webcam in combination with free motion sensing software. For Windows I suggested Yawcam if you're doing something very simple - http://www.yawcam.com/

Yawcam is a simple but feature-rich program that is normally used as a security tool. But what's great about it is you can specify the program to execute an .exe file or play a sound. This could potentially be used to start up program that YOU created as someone passes by. How you write that program (or which program you use) is up to you.

If you're interested in a solution that gives you a little more creative freedom, you may want to try out Zone Trigger - http://www.zonetrigger.com/interactive-digital-signage/

The interactivity features in Zone Trigger were created with interactive advertising in mind. This is an expensive program at $250 (clearly meant for commercial use) but you're allowed to use the program free for 30 days. From the Zone Trigger site:

Simply connect a camera and put motion hot spots on the video image. These hot spots are bound to scripts that will be called when motion is detected. Each spot is independent and can call a different script. Advanced features allow even more complex navigation to create interactive applications.

Wooooow.

As with Yawcam, Zone Trigger can use a standard USB webcam as its input. A good quality webcam can be found at Amazon, Newegg, or pretty much anywhere that sells computer electronics. You shouldn't need to spend more than $30 on a webcam. Here's a Logitech cam that can record in 720p and take 5mp photos for under $30:

http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Webcam-C310-Video-Photos/dp/B003LVZO8S/ref=dp_cp_ob_pc_title_3

And if you haven't already, JOIN AMAZON STUDENT! With your SOU email you'll have free two-day shipping and $4 overnight shipping on nearly any Amazon product for a year. It's perfect for this sort of thing.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/student/signup/info


Motion sensing is not the only form of interactivity you can provide an audience. You may also want to consider the numerous amounts of voice-command software out there as well as more physical devices like a keypad. Even a Dance Dance Revolution floor pad can be used to interact with your own program. Don't like the ugly DDR pad design? Just cover it up with your own work.

http://www.amazon.com/Multi-Platform-PS-PS2-Xbox-PC-Mac/dp/9752892698/ref=sr_1_1?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1296246108&sr=1-1

You can then use a keymapping program such as Total Game Control to map the dance pad inputs into mouse or keyboard strokes. You can even map an input to an event or complex string of keyboard inputs.

http://www.digitaltransforms.com/


Hopefully this post is insightful for some. I for one will be trying out Zone Trigger for my project. See everyone on Monday!

Project Timeline

One of the biggest road blocks I find myself coming across in working with an established organization like SOU is helping others see that my idea is good enough to spend school funds on. At the moment that is by far my largest concern. I will of course go ahead with my project regardless of the school's decision to fund it, but without the school's help I'll have to settle for a one-time show sort of deal. With that in mind, here is my timeline for the term:

1/26 - Come up with an initial proposal to those who could potentially help with funding. Address common concerns as well as those which people may not consider. How much money will this project require? How do we address energy-related concerns? What is the most cost-effective projector that suits our needs? Most importantly, how will this benefit EMDA and the university as a whole?

1/31 - Hopefully have a proposal submitted to the necessary people by this day. The proposal should be of professional quality complete with digital renderings of what the final product will look like. Meanwhile, work on some of the letter designs and familiarize with Flash.

2/2 - Most letter designs should be done by this day.

2/7 - Continue working. Regularly check up on proposal status. Beg for money on the street if necessary.

2/9 - Work

2/14 - The digital work should be completed by this date. I should also know by now whether or not a permanent installation is reasonable or not. If it is, consider ways in which we can make it interactive. Happy valentines day! As always, I'll be wearing green.

2/16 - Begin installation work and testing proof of concept. Thankfully I have a small projector at home that can help with this.

2/23 - Everything should be finished by this point. Final presentation any day after this.

As for my evaluation, I will be ready for one on or after 2/7

CAS 399/ART 450 - Project Proposal

Howdy y'all. I just arrived in Phoenix, AZ (world's largest suburban shopping center) from Dallas, TX where I was visiting family. Tomorrow I'll most likely be going to the National Championship game but in the meantime I've been thinking a bit about my project for this course. Actually, I've been thinking about it for quite some time.

I currently work as professor Arellano's assistant in the EMDA center. Part of my job there is to think about ways in which we can improve the center and the EMDA program in general. Although the center itself is in an amazing location with a fantastic view of the campus, I feel the look could be improved in a way that really shows the physical side of digital media. The EMDA center has some fantastic tall bay windows which I would like to work with in order to create something that hasn't really been done on the campus before: Interactive window projections.

During one of our class sessions, professor Arellano used window projections as one of his project examples. I have also been thinking about how cool a projected image would look in the center's windows and would like to take it a step further. The bay windows at the EMDA center come out of the building at a 45 degree or so angle. Each side contains six window columns. At the center we decided that "|E|M|D|A|@|SOU (the school logo)| would be the most appropriate thing to project. To do this we will use four small projectors - one for every three window columns.

Rather than simply project a static image, I would like to do something much more unique. Each of the "EMDA" letters will have multiple unique designs done in a way similar to the "type" project in DMF 201. I can create these images myself initially, but in the future it would be more fun for people if we used work from DMF students. These letters will change every 15 to 30 seconds randomly to a new design.

If we have the resources, I would love to add one final touch. Since the bay windows are viewable from the path that leads to the SU, I would like to have some kind of buttons or pads alongside the path. Each button would correspond to a different EMDA letter and when pressed, the letter would change to a different design instantly (and perhaps flash to a different color very briefly for more of a visual impact.)

This project is going to involve a lot of variables. I will need to determine which projectors we need, where they need to placed, and any other things one might need to know about window projections. I will then need to create a lot of different letter designs, and figure out how to create a looping yet interactive video in Adobe Flash. Even if we do not have the funds or ability to make this thing interactive, I will still try to create something interactive. If the buttons or pads can't be used outside, we could certainly do it in the center.

Anyway, that's my proposal. I think it could be a really awesome addition to the EMDA center and would be one of the most unique visuals on campus after it starts to get dark. Hope everyone had a good weekend and I'll see everyone next week. Go Ducks!