Joseph Zhang – Looking Outwards – 04

Demo of Weather Thingy

Quite contrary to its comical name, Weather Thingy is a custom built sound controller that modifies the sounds from musical instruments by utilizing data from real-time weather events.

This project was created by Adrien Kaeser, a current Media and Interaction Design student at ECAL in Switzerland. The device is able to amplify or minimize the data from any one of its four sensors and add that information into any musical composition to distort it. The device was made primarily with Arduino products and coded with Arduino, and MIDI protocol.

The internal hardwiring of the device’s components

I find this project very fascinating because of its ability to take such qualitative data and make something so empathetic from it all. People often distinguish science and emotional art; Adrien was able to combine both.

Sarah Kang – Looking Outwards – 04

Deguster L’augmente by Erika Marthins

For her recent graduate design project, a collaborative with ECAL (Bachelor Media & Interaction Design), Swedish designer Erika Marthins explored the ways to elevate the every day aspect of food by adding another of dimension of sensory effect. The initial picture of a slab of chocolate on a record player seems like just an artsy edit, but to imagine that the chocolate actually functions as a record was amazing to me. The chocolate record player is one of three desserts explored; Marthins embeds poetry into a lollipop and creates edible robotics.

Déguster l'augmenté ECAL/Erika Marthins from ECAL on Vimeo.

The chocolate record performs the same way as a typical vinyl record. The sounds produced by the chocolate round are made by grooves on its surface and when the record needle comes into contact with the moving surface, one can hear a high-pitched, wavering sound playing. Erika Marthin’s explorations as a designer is manifested through this successful project; she manages to create a poetic experience by achieving her goal to enable the diner to not only hear the sound of the chocolate, but to taste it.

http://erikamarthins.com/

Nawon Choi— Looking Outward 04

Cycling Wheel: The Orchestra

“Cycling Wheel” by Keith Lam, Seth Hon and Alex Lai

This performance/installation caught my attention because of the way the artists transformed a non-traditional medium (bicycle wheels and lights) into a work of visual and sonic art.

The artists noted that they took inspiration from Marcel Duchamp’s Bicycle Wheel, an installation piece that originally was made in 1913. I appreciate the way the artists reimagined this piece to be one that is interactive and dynamic. They transformed the mechanics of the wheel to control the light and sound, turning the bicycle wheel into a performative instrument.

Image result for marcel duchamp bicycle wheel
Marcel Duchamp’s “Bicycle Wheel” (1951)

I love the way that the artists incorporated both audio and visual elements into this piece and carefully crafted their performance/installation to highlight both elements. The performance was held at night, with the addition of a smoke machine to enhance the visual experience and also creating stunning photographs and documentation.

According to this article, some of the technical aspects of this installation include, a tailor-made control panel software that was created with an open-source programming language called “Processing” that is used to create animations and interactions. It also has three different units that control the music, light beams, and LED strips.

Below is a video of the performance—

Sewon Park – PO – 04

sketch

// Sewon Park
// sewonp@andrew.cmu.edu
// Section B
// sewonp-po-04

function setup() {
    createCanvas(400, 300);
}

function draw() {
    background(200)
     
      for (var a = 0; a <= 100; a+=5) {
        stroke(255, 255, 255);
        line(a,0,0,height); // White Lines from bottom left corner
        line(0,a,400,0); // White Lines from top right corner
      }


      for (var b = 300; b <= 400; b+=5) {
        stroke(255,255,255);
        line(b,300,400,0); // Black Lines from top right corner
      }
 
      for (var c = 200; c <= 300; c +=5) {
        stroke(255,255,255);
        line(400,c,0,300); // Black Lines from bottom left corner
      }

      for (var d = 0; d <= 400; d+=5) {
        stroke(255,0,0);
        line(0, height-d, d, 0); //top left
        line(d,300,400,height - d/1.7); //bottom right
        line(0, d*0.75, d, 300); //bottom left
        line(d, 0, 400, d*0.75); //top right
        //Curves in the four corners

        stroke (0,0,0);
        line(0,d,400,height-d); 
        line(d,300,width-d,0); //Red Lines meeting at center
      }  

      
      }
 


      


    

For the string art project, I tried to recreate the Sharingan (a special type of eye-technique) in an abstract fashion. The original Sharingan also possesses the three colors of black, red, and white.

Image result for sharingan

Xu Xu – Project 04 – String Art

sketch

//Claire Xu
//xux1@andrew.cmu.edu
//Section B
//Project 04
function setup() {
    createCanvas(400, 300);
}

function draw() {
    background(0);
    for (var i = 0; i < width; i += 10){
        //horizontal colour
        stroke(255-(i/1.2),200-(i/1.2),100-(i/1.2));
        //horizontal curves set1
        line(i,mouseY, 0,i-mouseX);
        line(i,mouseY, 0,i+mouseX);
        //horizontal curves set2
        line(width-i, mouseY, width, i-mouseX);
        line(width-i, mouseY, width, i+mouseX);
        //vertical colour
        stroke(100-(i/1.2),200-(i/1.2),255-(i/1.2));
        //vertical curves set1
        line(i-mouseX, 0, mouseY+100, i);
        line(i+mouseX, 0, mouseY+100, i);
        //vertical curves set2
        line(i-mouseX, height, mouseY+100, height-i);
        line(i+mouseX, height, mouseY+100, height-i);

    }

}

For this project, I was experimenting with lines that would change and form patterns with the change of mouse. I was also playing with colour to create a gradient effect, and when certain patterns are formed some lines would look like dashed lines due to colour and crisscrossing patterns.

Minjae Jeong – LookingOutwards-04-SoundArt

Computational Design of Metallophone Contact sounds by Columbia engineering shows how to optimize a customized instrument with computational design and digital fabrication. For each sound spectrum, the computer optimizes the surface with isotropic scaling optimization. I found this project very interesting because computer technology will continue to develop and will produce more accuracy than ever, which means that musical instruments will eventually be more intertwined with computers. But how will technology have more influence on classical instruments than now? Until when will classical instruments remain as the most prestigious instruments?

Lanna Lang – Project 04 – String Art

sketch_lanna2

//Lanna Lang
//Section D
//lannal@andrew.cmu.edu
//Project 04 String Art

var c1, c2; //variables for the sky gradient
var inches = 2; //variables for the person
var head = 6*inches; //variables for the person
var bodyH = 4*head; //variables for the person
var bodyW = bodyH*0.4; //variables for the person

function setup() {
    createCanvas(400, 300);

    c1 = color('#ab0068'); //sunset purple color
    c2 = color('#ff6c02'); //sunset orange color
    setGradient(c1, c2);

}

function draw() {
    noStroke();
    //draw the sea
    fill('#1b5f5e');
    rect(0, 200, width, height / 3);

    //draw the top left star
    //top left
    var x1 = 60;
    var y1 = 10;
    var x2 = 45;
    var y2 = 50;

    for (var i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
        stroke('#e3c878');
        line(x1, y1, x2, y2);
        x2 -= 7;
        y1 += 6;
    }
  
    //draw the top left star
    //top right
    var x1 = 60;
    var y1 = 10;
    var x2 = 75;
    var y2 = 50;

    for (var i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
        stroke('#e3c878');
        line(x1, y1, x2, y2);
        x2 += 7;
        y1 += 6
    }
  
    //draw the top left star
    //bottom left
    var x1 = 34;
    var y1 = 39;
    var x2 = 70;
    var y2 = 100;
  
    for (var i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
        stroke('#e3c878');
        line(x1 + 10, y1 + 10, x2, y2 - 6);
        x1 -= 7;
        y2 -= 6;
    }
  
    //draw the top left star
    //bottom right
    var x1 = 77;
    var y1 = 90;
    var x2 = 74;
    var y2 = 50;
  
    for (var i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
        stroke('#e3c878');
        line(x1 - 7, y1, x2, y2);
        x2 += 7;
        y1 -= 5;
    }

    //draw the bottom right star
    //top left
    var x1 = 360;
    var y1 = 90;
    var x2 = 345;
    var y2 = 130;

    for (var i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
        stroke('#e3c878');
        line(x1, y1, x2, y2);
        x2 -= 7;
        y1 += 6;
    }
  
    //draw the bottom right star
    //top right
    var x1 = 360;
    var y1 = 90;
    var x2 = 375;
    var y2 = 130;

    for (var i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
        stroke('#e3c878');
        line(x1, y1, x2, y2);
        x2 += 7;
        y1 += 6
    }
  
    //draw the bottom right star
    //bottom left
    var x1 = 334;
    var y1 = 119;
    var x2 = 370;
    var y2 = 180;
  
    for (var i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
        stroke('#e3c878');
        line(x1 + 10, y1 + 10, x2, y2 - 6);
        x1 -= 7;
        y2 -= 6;
    }
  
    //draw the bottom right star
    //bottom left
    var x1 = 377;
    var y1 = 170;
    var x2 = 374;
    var y2 = 130;
  
    for (var i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
        stroke('#e3c878');
        line(x1 - 7, y1, x2, y2);
        x2 += 7;
        y1 -= 5;
    }
  
    //draw the right sail
    var x1 = 200;
    var y1 = 50;
    var x2 = 230;
    var y2 = 230;

    for (var i = 0; i < 7; i++) {
        stroke('#ded8c0');
        line(x1, y1, x2, y2);
        x2 += 30;
        y1 += 5;
    }
  
    //draw the left sail
    var x1 = 200;
    var y1 = 50;
    var x2 = 220;
    var y2 = 230;
  
    for (var i = 0; i < 15; i++) {
        stroke( '#ded8c0');
        line(x1, y1, x2, y2);
        x2 -= 10;
        y1 += 10;
    }
  
    //draw the person
    stroke('#9ea9f0');
    fill('#ccc1ff');
    circle(130, 210, head);
    ellipse(130, 210 + head*0.5 + bodyH*0.5, bodyW, bodyH);
  
    //draw the brown boat
    noStroke();
    fill('#a34a28');
    beginShape();
    vertex(80, 230);
    vertex(420, 230);
    vertex(370, 280);
    vertex(130, 280);
    endShape(CLOSE);

}

//drawing a linear gradient 
//for the sunset
function setGradient(c1, c2) {
    noFill();
    for (var y = 0; y < height; y++) {
        var inter = map(y, 0, height, 0, 1);
        var c = lerpColor(c1, c2, inter);
        stroke(c);
        line(0, y, width, y);
    }
}

I tried experimenting using string art to create an actual image as people also do when they physically do string art, and I also played around with color and creating gradients, which I never attempted before. It was really difficult for me at first to envision how to create the stars, but once I started, I slowly understood what to do for each part.

Margot Gersing – Looking Outwards – 04

The sound art I was inspired by this week is a project called Apparatum by panGenerator Collective.

Video of the Apparatum project

This project is a machine with an interactive digital interface that only makes analog sounds. It is inspired by Polish Radio Experimental Studio which created the first electroacoustic music. The musical inspiration is from Symphony – Electronic Music composed by Boguslaw Schaeffer.

graphic score

My favorite part about this project is the combination of a graphic image, sound and a digital interface. I also really liked the interactive component of the project. The machine is based on magnetic tape and optical components that are controlled by a graphic score which was made on the digital interface. The software used to create the interface is electron (node.js) and teensy 3.2. 

Interface for machine
machine and speakers

Article 1, panGenerator

Ankitha Vasudev – Project 04 – String Art

sketch

//Ankitha Vasudev
//ankithav@andrew.cmu.edu
//Section B
//Project 04

var r = 210;
var g = 220;
var b = 255;
var angle = 0;
var cx = 0;

function setup() {
    createCanvas(400, 300);
    background(0);
    angleMode(degrees);
}

//spiral eye 
function draw() {
    angle = angle+5;
    cx = cx+20;
    fill(0);
    push();
    translate(width/2,height/2-10);
    rotate(radians(angle));
    strokeWeight(0.5);
    stroke(r-200, g-150, b);
    line(cx, 0, 10, 10);
    pop();

//loop
for (var x = 0; x < width; x += 10) {

    //bottom right curves
   	strokeWeight(0.75);
    stroke(r+40, g+20, b);
    line(x, height-30, width-30, height-x);
    stroke(r-50, g-60, b);
   	line(x, height, width, height-x);

    //top left curves
    stroke(r+40, g+30, b);
    line(x, 20, 40, height - x);
    stroke(r-70, g-80, b);
    line(x, 0, 0, height - x);

    //top right curves
    stroke(r-20, g-10, b);
    line(width/2 + x, 0, width, x);
    stroke(r+40, g+20, b);
    line(width/2 + x, 0, width, x+50);

    //bottom left curves
    stroke(r-40, g-20, b);
    line(0, x+80, x, height);
    stroke(r+40, g+20, b);
    line(10, x, x, height);
}
}
    





For this project, I played around with looping and changing coordinates to obtain different patterns. I also wanted to create a dynamic element, which led to the idea of creating an abstract eye.

Lanna Lang – Looking Outwards – 04

Yuri Suzuki’s “Sonic Playground” // 2018

“Sonic Playground” is an installation of six interactive sound sculptures that transmit and manipulate sound depending on where you’re standing, listening, or speaking. The software used in this project was Grasshopper as a plug-in for Rhinoceros 3D, and both programs aren’t acoustic software, but in certain situations with certain frequency ranges, it can be done using ray-tracing techniques. What inspires me about this project is the child-like fantasy with its playfulness and nod to the talk tubes on playgrounds from childhood, and how Suzuki plays it up with physics, engineering, and computer software, using the shape of the parabolic dishes that require time to find the exact spot where you can hear the reflection of sound at its optimum.

Suzuki makes this installation effective by using the raytracing tool to replicate the design of the internal surfaces of a concert hall to maximize the sound that reaches and envelops the audience. However, I wish that the artist made the appearance a little more interesting and different than the talking tubes that can be found on playgrounds, or somehow appeal more to the adults than the children in a way that brings the adults joy in reminiscing their childhood memories.

Suzuki was inspired by the public space in Japan and the UK and how strangers don’t tend to start conversations with strangers, and he wanted to create an experience between people who must communicate through audio. He was also inspired by the sound mirrors in Kent that were originally built by the UK’s national defense force in the early 19th century.

A static image of kids interacting with Yuri Suzuki’s “Sonic Playground”: demonstrates how people interact with the installation, and showing how kneeling or standing can change the sound.
Screenshots of how “Sonic Playground” was completed using Grasshopper and Rhinoceros 3D, showing how the computer software fits into this project.