Category: LookingOutwards

inFORM: MIT Tangible Media Group

 

The project inFORM by the Tangible Media Group explores how digital interactions can feel more physical through a matrix of physical “pixels” that react to hand gestures (and other inputs). They propose that this type of interaction can bring more presence in remote conditions.

The physical pixels can be used to materialize a variety of intangible inputs, such as a 3d topographical map from a digital map.

This is apparently the underbelly of the entire machine to control each individual pixel.

I found this project to be particularly interesting, as I have always wondered what the future of interactions would look like without relying on the limited mediums we have today (computer mouse, keyboard, and screens). Nowadays, we’re so used to abiding by the rule of deriving digital outputs from physical inputs. Projects like these that inquire alternative ways we experience the world are exciting to me, as new forms of interaction can breed new, creative ideas – just as the Soli project is doing for us right now.

I think that this interactive piece is especially great at being honest with its audience, as it boils down to only the essential details: the hand and the pixels, with no extraneous elements. This simplicity makes it effortless for the audience to ponder over the implications of a phantom touch.

https://tangible.media.mit.edu/project/venous-materials/

Vernous materials explores an alterative way to visualize and record motion without using electronics. In simplest terms, these are structure created with fluid inside; with pressure applied, the fluid travels along the structure and “functions as a sensor and display of tangible information”.

As the project pointed out, “computer chips and electronics usually require rigid and bulky components, Venous Materials is a soft and self-contained mechanism that utilizes the motion of daily activities as its energy source”. I think seeing an alternative way to visualize data without electronics could have some interesting applications, and I was surprised as to the amount the data(bending, pressure, or recording past data) they’re able to get just  from manipulating the shape of the structure cleverly.

 

(zimoun’s work is also super cool! Reference lampsauce’s post about it!)

Trans Plant, Christa Sommerer and Laurent Mignonneau

In this early interactive computer installation, the viewer generates and moves through a virtual world, populated by plants that change properties based on the viewers themselves and their movements. This is their world, generated only by them. Others may witness and their images may be seen in it, but they have no control over it.

Because of that personal aspect of it, I think this work places itself in an interesting position in terms of ecology. Under a capitalist system and as ego-driven as we are socialized to be, we view our world as this one. We view the ecosystem as our systems, which are to be manipulated for our own personal gain. Perhaps this work serves as an outlet for those desires in a way that is not harmful, as it is virtual.

I found this kinetic light bulb sculpture presented by Build UP LLC (a kinetic art distributor company in UAE) very interesting. Although the idea of color-changing light bulbs moving up and down is not as mind-blowing these days as to the past, I find the concept of generating certain shapes or motions through the moving light bulbs interesting.

So far any installations that used a set of light bulbs attached to a string from the ceiling that I’ve seen either remained static or just moved up and down, creating an impression of shining particles. However, what they have done instead is arranging the light bulbs such that it looks like it’s part of the interior design and/or is moving in a satisfying mathematical motion.

These are some screenshots from the video:

 

“Taptap” is a physical computing project created by Leonardo Bonanni, Jeff Lieberman, and Cati Vaucelle. It is a wearable scarf that uses haptic input/output modules to record and play back nurturing human touch. Taptap can be personalized for individuals and its creators thought that it could provide emotional therapy. The idea of using technology to provide emotional comfort that feels real and substantial is something that interests me, especially during the pandemic when we are more isolated. The emotional comfort that could be provided by this project comes from recreating human connection and emotion; it’s not just a gimmick or distraction.

http://alumni.media.mit.edu/~orit/taptap.html

 

Mitgenommen(2014) is a collaborative project by Kaho Abe with Caro Blaim, Elia Tomat, Eszter Némethi, George Sinclair, Ramsey Nasser, Lilli Unger, Martin Kroll, Mascha Fehse, Sandra Panzer, and Tom Clowney. These people were a group of game designers and architects!

The group crafted hand-made wooden boxes with found materials and made each of them function diversely(some move, some light up, and some make noises). Every box utilized solar power to function. They designed these boxes in hopes to invoke curiosity and playfulness into a park that stood in the middle of the city they were in Witten, Germany.

 

I think the most important aspect that I admired about this project is the fact that those who interact with it(the park-goers) are allowed to rearrange the boxes as they please. They can be taken away, stacked, or even hidden! The people who visit the park have agency in what the artwork can end up looking like for other later viewers.

I think this work by Zimoun is really cool. I spent a lot of time on his website and I think this work really stood out relative to his other work. Inside this old water tank, Zimoun created a sound installation which gives a very other-worldly sensation. The installation uses hundreds of motors DC motors and cotton balls to create a unique, repeating sound. The sounds are asynchronous, which allows randomness to arise out of order. Zimoun's ability to create nuanced environments with repeating elements is fantastic. Computationally, none of it is difficult (ie. it's just some motors spinning). However, being able to translate a simple computation into a dynamic environment is fascinating to me.

This project called Programmable Droplets for Interaction is created by the MIT media lab's Tangible Media group.

LINK

It uses the technique called “electrowetting on dielectric” (EWOD) to create controllable droplets that can be translating, morphing, merging, and splitting multiple droplets simultaneously.



The concept is to utilize something so ordinary in our daily lives to function as information display, and one of the possible way to integrate it in our daily life is demonstrated by the GIF below. The droplet can be used to create "handwritten", thus becoming an extension of us to simulate human actions without us being physically there, yet delivering a similar level of authenticity and love we wish to convey.



It intrigues me because of the simplicity and beauty of the droplets, as well as the poetic concept. The level of control we can control and simulate an organic and delicate substance in our lives fascinates me.

 

 

 

This work created by artist and composer Dylan Sheridan is called Bellow. It is a digital installation that plays live music through an artificial irrigation system, automated fingers and electronic sensors. I was searching through powland.tv’s page and found this post, which eventually led me to this project. I found this work particularly interesting because of how the artist tries to synthesize natural phenomena with artificial sounds and physical components. While it is a manmade recreation of a cave-like environment, the installation does not attempt to copy what an actual cave would look and sound like other than showing a tiny piece of turf. Instead it focuses on the sound composition, how the sounds are being played, and how the interaction should happen. It somehow reminds me of a Rube Goldberg machine with its usage of different trigger components and complexity of the sound composing process.