Shadow Detection
Shadow detection is the most plausible and accessible technology for the SoundSpace interface. The SoundSpace interface would be projected onto the floor from the roof.  A camera  would also also mounted to the roof, this would be feed into a computer and using software to pick up the HSV colour space values. We would set the software to pick up the HSV values for shadow areas. People will be picked up when they enter the interface space as the projector is illuminating the area and when they are moving in the space they are breaking the light and casting a shadow. We then can convert this detection to isolate a persons co-ordinates with in the space, this will also be fed to the interface so the interface will react with a visual response and trigger the appropriate sound.

A more effective method of shadow detection, but more expensive and not as accessible would be to use infra red lights and cameras to detect people with in the space. Works similar to above but with more accurate results.

See sample videos below:

Tangible Multitouch Surface
Displax have developed a touch sensitive fil which is 98% transparent. This surface can be stuck to walls or the floor. This method would still use the projectors to project the interface onto the floor.

Another method would be to use the technology behind the Microsoft surface. This would be most expensive method and lest accessible but would provide the greatest result.   This would be installed into the floor of a chosen space. This method would allow the touch sensitivity and display all in one. This also may allow the interface to be installed into brighter spaces where projectors are not as effective.

These videos are part of our observational research methods, for full explaimation and conclusion see the research methods page.

This video is one of our research methods, see the research methods page for a full explaination and conclusion.

image from airpiano.de

The Air Piano is a prototype of a musical interface. This interface is a long thin device that detects hand movements in the air above the Air Piano to play and control software instruments. The Air Piano use LEDs to provide feedback about the users hand movements. The hand movements can control the virtual keys and faders above the air piano, and example of this is if you placed you hand on a virtual key the length of the note is determined by how long you hold your hand on that virtual key. The distance and hand speed also control different aspects of the interface. The Air Piano virtual keys use MIDI messages so that the software know what sound to play, this also allows the Air Piano to be loaded with lots of different MIDI instruments depending on what the outcome required is. Even though it is a prototype of a music interface, this type of interface could be adapted to many different types of applications.

I really like this idea not only as a keyboard but the interface is really good and can be adapted to many different applications. The possibilities are endless these guys have put it to good use.

Click image to view full storyboard for our presentation video.

Renound musician David Byrne explored the idea of bring an environment to life with music in his piece Playing the Building. In this work Byrne has turned a building, The Battery Maritime Building, New York, into a giant musical instrument control via a piano. People are invited to stroke the keys on the piano each key stroke resulting in a disproportioned response in another room.

Apparatus for Orchestral Knitting is an interesting project by cult of marms. Part of Conflux 2008 this project invited those who knit and those who don’t the chance to knit as part of musical knitting orchestra. The sound of knitting was amplified and mixed in a live playback. Music is everything.

Primal Source was an installation using audio detection devices to determine the volume levels of the audience. The display was directly affected by the amount of noise people (estimated at approx. 200,000 over the course of the night) where making.
The beautiful thing here is how the audience encourages the display and the display encourages the audience. The height of the show is reached through a collective excitement. This working together to get the most out of the installations is a nice example of public sharing enhancing the experience.

The idea of including tactility into interactive displays is something that seems to be overlooked. Airborne Ultrasound Tactile Displaytotally blows my mind. Basically it generates pressure barriers using ultrasound waves. This can then be used to visually represent things like hand movements through the sound. Im sure its not that simple, but check it out and see what you make of it.

Human Locator is a great commercial service providing a range motion tracking applications. Developed by Freeset, it was specifically designed for advertising. It has the ability to create thing like mimicking audience movements with virtual characters as well as a range of interactive environments allowing people to manipulate objects on screen displays.

Mega Phone is a great new way of engaging the public. It takes away alot of the effort associated with other forms of mobile phone controls, no slow SMS typing just call and away you go. Using the nutural action of vocals in addition to the keypad the audience can control visuals on a public display. This is a really seemless intergration of both audio and text interaction giving not only the audience greater control but designers a wider range of creative possiblities also.

Wixels are 3d wireless pixels, perhaps not as high tech as some of the 3d projection technolgoy that is emerging but never the less a really great technology for creating 3 dimensional imagery that can be remotely controlled and also interacted with. I can’t wait for this concept to be enhanced through nano technology, so that the wixels are the size of reqular pixels and huge arrays fill the skys. The thing that makes this idea all the more exciting is the wixels tangibility, such an advantage over holographic concepts which deprive our sense of touch.

Mobile gesture interfaces is a really cool concept sounds like it is the early stages but, will be awesome for controlling interactive displays and communicating in a totally new way. The lab behind this little gem Kitchen Budapest have alot of other nice ideas to check out.

Johnny Chung Lee has made a series of applications exlporing the potential of the Nintendo Wii remotes. The expense of setting up these systems is minimal when considering the possibilities of this technology. The 3 examples Johnny has done so far are; multi-point interactive white boards, finger tip tracking, and desktop virtual reality displays. Each of these examples uses the abilities of the Wii remote in different ways, creating a very comprehensive tool box for developers of interactive systems.