-What
kind of media do you use for your work? >
Since my
work is focused on bringing new physical interfaces to networked interaction,
I use a mixture of electronics and software. On the electronics side I
work with PIC, Basic Stamp, and BX24 microcontrollers (programmed in everything
from C to PBASIC) to interface serially to computers. I also use a wide
array of different sensors, motors, etc to both gather input and output
feedback to and from physical spaces. My focus is to marry the idea of
form and function, where the object itself becomes as important as the
message it is trying to convey. For SearchEngine, for example, I built
a small motor out of found machine parts and used a lawnmower starter
cord as the main interface to the project. I wanted the physical act of
starting an engine to be integral to the piece. For Crank the Web, I used
a large, metal hand crank (the type you would use to crank a boat on your
car) as the interface to a browser and attached sensors to measure the
force and duration of each crank. As for software, I've used everything
from Lingo, Java, and Visual Basic to server-side scripting languages
like PHP, Perl and interpreted languages like XML, HTML, etc..
-Could
you please write the tech specs of each technology? (java, >
c...) >
Lingo /
Shockwave - Macromedia Director C/C++ /Visual Basic- Application
Building C/PBASIC - microcontrollers PHP/HTML/Perl/XML -
web-based systems
-Could
you please tell us why you chose to use that particular > language
or software for that particular work? >
For SearchEngine, I
used a PIC microcontroller to both read serial input from the computer
and inputs from the motor starter cord. I used C to program the PIC chip
since the development environment I was using (MPLAB) was more suited
towards that language. There are ways of using other languages (like PBASIC)
to program PIC microcontrollers without having to know C. I sometimes
use these methods when my time frame for building a prototype is tight.
For my MouseMiles project, I wanted a large user base so I built the client/server
in Shockwave. The output talks to a Basic Stamp microcontroller which
outputs the collected miles as a timed amount to move the model train
around the track according to how many miles are coming in. The Stamp
also sends instructions to the LCD panel to display the number of laps
the train moved. It also takes the incoming lap amount and sends that
back to the PC to output to the connected clients.
-Are
some languages better than others for specific works? (I mean: >
java is better for ....... while C is better for ..... and html for....)
>This
depends on your final audience and whether the piece is going to be interactive
or not. Since my projects mostly have a physical component, there's usually
no interaction with people and the screen directly. Because of this, languages
like Java and C/C++ are ideal because there's no need to dress up the
interface since people won't be looking at a screen. Applications built
in these languages can run in the background, and the physical interface
is most important. For web-based applications, making interfaces in Director/Flash/HTML
are the simplest ways to design and implement without too much overhead.
This way you can make your interface user-friendly and designed simply,
plus there's usually less of a problem with compatibility across platforms.
-Do
you think it is possible to understand your work without any kind
of computer schooling? >
Definitely! I think people from multiple disciplines can understand my
work because it exists as a series of questions and challenges to how
we use/experience/and interact with technology and networks. People who
have no computer experience can relate to the physicality of objects and
experience, and my work addresses the human side (and humorous side) of
technology and how these seemingly "virtual" processes might
become more like us. Thus I think my work is accessible to anyone who's
interested in shifting perceptions about what exists now and how this
might change in the future.
--
|
Jonah
Brucker-Cohen His work has been shown both in the US and Internationally at events such as Ars Electronica, DEAF, SIGGRAPH 2000, VRML-Art 99, Art in Motion II in Los Angeles, F.I.L.E. Festival 2000-2001 in Brazil, Nordic Interactive Conference (ElectroHype) festival in Copenhagen, Machida City Museum of Graphic Arts in Tokyo, ISEA, Soundtoys.net, Transmediale.02, European Media Arts Festival, and the 8th Annual New York Digital Salon in NYC and Spain. |
|
MOUSE
MILES MouseMiles is a networked mileage indicator for your mouse. Over time is calculates the mileage you have traveled and relays that information to a central server. The server collects all of the incoming mileage and outputs the distance in real-time to move a physical object - currently a model train around a track. Concept The idea behind MouseMiles centers around our connection to familiar objects (in this case a mouse) and how we share this connection and use with others across distance. The mouse is a fundamental input device to the modern computer. Despite our miniscule movements while using it, over time these movements measure up to long distances without us even noticing. MouseMiles attempts
to collect and measure these movements (like similar applications
including the Mouse Odometer , Kodo, a Linux Mouse Odometer,and
the Odometer Applet), but instead of keeping them local to one machine,
MouseMiles collects the information over the network to discover
how our collected movements could be implemented on a large scale.
The physical model train that moves in real-time is a testament
that our small movements can and do have real-world consequences.
MouseMiles works
on two levels: a.) Web-based networked interaction When launched, the application automatically logs into the server where it stays connected waiting for activity from the mouse. The application also configures itself for the width and height (in pixels) of each users screen to calculate the exact mileage being collected. Every 40 seconds or so, the miles are sent to the main server where an application keeps track of the collected distance traveled. Vertical (V), horizontal (H), and total (T) miles are tracked along with total number of laps of the train and collected total miles (TM) of everyone who has contributed to the miles. b.) Physical output over time In the physical space, the miles are collected and sent to a microcontroller which then allows power to flow to a model train. The train moves in real-time - both in speed and in distance according to the amount of change of miles coming in compared to the last input. As the train moves around the track, every lap it makes (approximately 10 ft = .001943 miles), it records the lap number and total mileage on an LCD screen and simultaneously sends the data back to each MouseMiles client. Therefore each user can see how their mileage measures up to the collective mileage and how far the train has moved over time. Link: mousemiles.net (Shockwave Plug-In Needed) Video: |
| SEARCHENGINE-
2001
Generate live Internet search terms with a real engine. Overview Prototype System Video: |
