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Twitter VFD Display

Originally uploaded by Quasimondo

I’ve ben spending a lot of time thinking about how to make an interactive twitter experience and there are two models that I am imagining. One is a visual text output onto an LCD screen which displays the most recent twitter. The other, is to make a collection of memorable statements onto LED grids. (Apologies if the lingo is not accurate, I’m trying to get my head around all of this and just using this blog to articulate and record my thoughts.) The first one I would make would be “u twit!”, and then maybe “Where’s that pot at the end of the rainbow?”.

Now that I have this entry I will try update this entry with more of these statements. I have also considered making them in neon… but the whole thing boils down to the fact that I don’t have a sugar daddy to pay for all my imaginative adventures.

Ok, so actually Quasimondo has linked an arduino to VFD cashier display which relays twitter updates.
To further build on idea 1 I’ve been trying to see if I could link a webcam to take constant pictures that relay to twitter. I have this in mind to propose to New Media Scotland’s Twitterer in Residence Programme, and also for the installation/space/performance planned for the near future, where a camera could be a fly on the wall which visually updates my activity within my 3D browser installation.

Also, worth noting here I wish I had had a Kickbeeby Corey Menscher, while I was making Child. This would have added one more dimension to the piece.

And, tying to previous post on sensecam, it would be perfect if all that data could relay to twitter too. I would love to be the guinea pig if someone could do all the building… but may have to try to put it together myself.

[update 14:35] Lady Ada has a tutorial on her site for linking an arduino to LCD, then there is talk of linking to twitter in her Botanicalls Twitter Kit. Does Ben have any of these spare parts up in Headingley, must ask?

I’ve been looking at Augmented Reality Research over the last six months trying to figure out how I could apply it to my work. I am working with it a little with the outcome goals for Our City, Our Music, but my PhD goal is to make it through creative practice demonstrating Mixed Reality. After seeing this video by Camille SCHERRER the light is starting to come on. It’s been one of those concepts that I know applies to my practice of visually mixing spaces but just beyond my understanding of how to incorporate all the fields of vision. I am now thinking that the footage I took in Toronto and New York and even the space in Leeds, at H-building could be blended with the Second Life images and then add the Augmented Reality. This is finally what feels right. How do I get all this together? And can I make this happen live? I’m going to start by asking if CVLAB can give me a hand. Are static images required as they seem to be masking human movement here.

AELatGT: Tobias Lang & Blair MacIntyre
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta & Ludwig Maximilian’s University, Munich

This demo shows the use of Second Life as a platform for Augmented Reality. With our modified Second Life client, we can add aribtrary Second Life graphics to physical locations.

EVA London 2008

Originally uploaded by meganleigh

I just spent three days at EVA London held at the British Computer Society in Covent Garden. The conference was jointly hosted by Computer Arts Society.

Among the speakers Julie Tolmie, Steve DiPaola, and Kia Ng were among my favorites with their incredible research into teaching methods for string instruments, visualizing mathematical theory, and Vision Science analysed through Rembrandt paintings. Rebecca Gamble also gave an interesting presentation on the use of new technologies for participatory art, and Yvonne Desmond spoke about the importance to archive the artistic process and the development of the ArtLog at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre.
I took part in the Research Workshop on the first day of the conference where I presented elements of my research to a fellow community of PhD students. It’s relaxed setting led to a important exchange and the creation of a new network. I am looking forward to next year already!