Ok people I just got my mind blown! You got to see this video!
Yup that just happened. Its completely real too. No trickery here. Built by Fisher Technical Services, Inc. (FTSI) for the 2010 World Expo it has 1008 150mm spheres all suspended by wire and each controlled individually by micro winches. Its an amazing display of what computers can do to help visualize art. Its a stunning show perfectly performed by thousands of little motors and a very powerful computer. Add some cool lights and a good sound track and you've created a mesmerizing display. I still can't believe how cool it is and I've watched the video 3 times. Although you may have never seen it before its not the only one of its kind. Check out BMW's version in Munich, Germany.
BMW's version is smaller but they display very recognizable objects, of course beautiful silhouettes of their cars. Both these pieces are amazing works of art that blow my mind. The smooth movements, effortless transitions and overall simplicity of the designs is perfect. I want one in my house! There's also over versions of this kind of 3D visualization. Check out these two videos below:
Each is an amazing feat by itself. Firs the cube is huge! I've always wanted cool holographic s and this is a kind of pseudo holograms. The second video is a true hologram! I thought I'd never see the day! Its truly amazing to see. Its a dream come true. Even such raw technology makes me very excited. Visualiztion is very important and these creative ways of displaying art boggle my mind and hopefully yours. I hope you enjoyed each piece as much as I did - Laters
I mentioned that Art today has gone down the drain. Not that it is worse in quality but has less importance in our everyday lives. I believe that this is because going to an art gallery and staring at abstract art works and such is not entertaining for most, me included. How do we fix this problem? Make art more fun and entertaining for people. Easily done with a little thing called interactive art. Its a way that artists can turn the tables on their observers. Instead of the artists doing all the work they let the observer take part in the creation of the work. Its purpose is to engage the observer, bring he/she into the mind set of the artist and share in the experience of the works creation. Enough talk lets look at a couple examples. First the coolest runway you'll ever see:
Next a dance floor that you'll never want to leave:
Or a mirror made out of wood . . . ?
There's so many of these that are awesome I cannot show you them all. I recommend just doing a simple YouTube search for interactive art and watch the endless possibilities. Hope you have a good time - Laters
What happened to Art? Once a interval part of every man, woman or child's life is now put aside for video games, TV and iPhone's. Its an after thought in modern times. Today we build a square building, then fill it with furniture and lastly put a little Art on the walls. Where it should be the other way around. Finding Art that connects to you, build a purpose built structure with meaning and thought to house the Art and furnish it to make it cozy. Its not the only thing we have completely backwards in today's world but I'm not going political. The mentality of taking a process and reversing it is not new and in fact in art there's a ingenious concept that's broken the order of things. Traditional art is conceptualized, perfected in the mind and performed on canvas or sculpture. The result an exact representation of the original idea in the artist mind. So how do we reverse this? A little thing called Generative Art.
Generative Art refers to art that in whole or in part has been created with the use of an
autonomous system. - Trusty Wikipedia
Yup generative art is art not created by the artist by rather by another being or machine. Instead of an artist creating a concept of the finalized work he/she creates a process to perform an artwork. Often a set of ambiguous steps to be followed by others each time creating a new and clearly different work. One the earliest examples would be Wolfgang Mozart's "Musikalisches Wurfelspiel" work. This is a large set of short melodies that are randomly played together based on a die roll thus creating a new piece of music every time.
Generative art reverses the roll of artist and observer. Instead of the artist performing the work he/she is now the observer of the performers who then realize the work. Its the old switcharoo. Hundreds of works have been realized in this fashion and each and everyone is unique. A great example is Sol LeWitt's wall drawings below:
Very cool stuff. How about this piece?
Wish it showed the completed work but still very cool. Hope you look for cool works like this in the future -Laters
Ever seen a lopsided skyscraper? Neither had until I was introduced to moh architects and evolutionary design concepts. Yup that right evolutionary design. . . what does this mean? Well check out their website HERE. Their idea was to use natural evolution to produce actual structure concepts and in this case skyscrapers. Nature has a pretty good way of making evolution happen. The weak die and the strong survive. Now apply such ideas to architecture and whala. Kinda. Its not as easy as you'd think. You need evolutionary algorithms and a rating system to determine how that algorithm does over time. These systems are often called Fitness scores. For example in the skyscraper situation we would make a rating system based on how strong the build is and whether its going to fall over when a little storm comes through. The process would be something like this. Run the algorithm and take the result. Put it through a storm and if it falls over throw it away and get the next one. When you find a few good ones that survive find the properties that made them survive and add them to the algorithm. Now repeat a couple hundred times. Eventually the goal is to get something that's going to survive the harshest hurricanes and storms. The process will vary depending on algorithm but all evolutionary algorithms require a grading system. For more information check out a trusted Wiki article HERE. For a beginners guide to EA's there's another great resource HERE.
So whats so cool about these? Well this strategy is an interesting way to create something but often not know what your result will be at the start. Depending on your EA you may get results that you would have never predicted or imagined. Above is a pretty good example. Who would have thought of having a structurally sound skyscraper that was completely bent in the middle? These algorithms also have to great power to find the optimum result very easily for any project. On the Perl Monks website they give these great examples:
Finding circuit layouts that minimize production costs, using graph representations.
Modelling biological principles like cooperation, speciation, specialization.
Finding effective movement strategies for cheap (and dumb) robots.
Creating classifiers and predictors for data sets, often with neural nets.
Generating music/art that satisfies certain aesthetic criteria.
Some really great ideas and possibilities can come from this process and its easy to see that it can be applied to a huge variety of fields and problems. It would probably be a good idea to keep EA in the back of your mind if your a true problem solver - Laters
If you haven't figured it out I'm writing some of my blogs for a class project. We're required to write about computational art related topics which is actually pretty cool. For my final project we had to actually create the art ourselves. I teamed up with Nelson Post, Marie Wilcox, Carlos Sanchez and Stephen Roda to create our visionary piece of web art. You can check it out at Probablycats.com and here is a screenshot of it.
Pretty cool right? Here's the low down on the site. Reddit.com is one that I visit on the regular because of all its interesting news and funny pictures. The only problem is that its kind of like craigslist.com where its design is very simplistic and unattractive. Well we decided to fix that and make the viewing enjoyable. Our team put together code to make it happen. First we needed to scrape the website of all its cool pictures. Easy with a little php and hours of time. We designed the website around the images giving it a hip look and easy to navigate feel. All the images are linked back to the original site if you want it from the original source. The photos are not chosen by us but rather Reddit and in actuality imgur.com. Refresh the website and it will refresh with the latest pictures. Enjoy the newest streamline way to view your favorite pictures on the web - Laters
Keeping on the theme of cool future technologies lets take a look at the sister of augmented reality, virtual reality. I understand if you think they are the same but in fact they are quite different. Here's the definitions as per trusty Wikipedia:
Augmented Reality (AR) is a live, direct or indirect, view of a physical, real-world environment
whose elements are augmented by computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video,
graphics or GPS data.
Virtual Reality (VR) is a term that applies to computer-simulated environments that can simulate
physical presence in places in the real world, as well as in imaginary worlds.
So whats the big difference? Augmented reality is the real world with computer outputs overlaid on it where virtual reality is complete immersion in a computer generated world. For example an augmented reality demonstration:
Very cool right? Now lets look at an example of virtual reality:
See the difference? Its pretty cool. There are many projects like these ongoing. The experience is very interesting. The SCAPE project at the University of Arizona supports two users that can exist in the same virtual world but in different places in that virtual world. You can interact with the environment or each other in that environment. A new world within a world. Its like a little bit of inception. Hope it blew you mind a little - Laters
One of my previous posts was about cyborgs and I touched on an amazing piece of technology Google Glass. To me this is one of the coolest concepts I've been exposed to in years. If you didn't see the video last time here it is again:
If only it were here already. The idea of effortless control over technology demonstrated in the video makes me very excited for the future. We can see that you can video chat (Google Hangout), send and receive text messages, make calls and get turn-by-turn navigation at the blink of an eye. To me its just mind blowing so I've got to dive further into augmented reality. Wondering what Wikipedia's definition of augmented reality is? So am I, so here it is:
Augmented Reality (AR) is a live, direct or indirect, view of a physical, real-world
environment whose elements are augmented by computer-generated sensory input such
as sound, video, graphics or GPS data.
Pretty straight forward and nothing really surprising there. Its a technology that has come along directly with the development of faster computers, cheap cameras and better video graphics. Combine all that with smartphones it has made augmented reality possible in everyone's pocket. Sweet! I don't know about you but I have always wanted cool holographic HUD's like Tony Stark has in Iron Man. There's also plenty of other great examples of augmented reality technology. Digitalbuzz did a great article about some HERE. This new technology has unlimited possibilities in my mind. I'll leave with a cool video of Google Glass being demonstrated live.
Social media has taken over the modern world. Face to face social interaction is now unneeded. It has enabled us to share our lives with the world in real time. We can post our location, our opinion, what hear or see. One form of social media that has exploded is the micro blogging scene and there are many options. Twitter, Facebook, Picasso, MySpace, YouTube, Google+, Blogger, Wordpress, Tumbler and Pinterest just to name a few. All let you show the world clip-its of your life. There's hundreds of them all offering a outlet to express yourself online. For me I'm just a newbie to the whole scene. I have had a Facebook account for a long time but only recently signed up for a Twitter account (@rlof11) and Blogger. I have enjoyed each but my latest adventure is the Pintrest world. If you haven't joined me and the 25 million other unique visitors a month on Pinterest I'll clue you in on whats going on in this virtual photo sharing world. I just joined a week ago so I'm no expert but where my knowledge fails we can always trust the most reliable web resources out there Wikipedia.
The simple jist of Pinterest is you post a picture on your virtual pin board. Others can see it and if they think its worthy of adding to their own board they "re-pin it". Simple and very entertaining. People "pin" images of everything. For me I mostly search for those fly outfits, cool gadgets or cool cars. Search for anything and you'll receive a never ending stream of related photos that might "interest" you. Its a great idea and a time killing fun way to explore your own interests.
Pinterest as a company is an amazing story. They launched in March 2010 and literally two years later became a $1.5 billion dollar company. It was the fastest company to reach that mark in history. Why so popular so quick? I believe its because of its simple design and simple concept. I have spent a small amount of the website and have enjoyed it thoughoutly. So far I have used it to pass samll amounts of time between events or classes. I'm not usually one to jump on these websites but this is one I have enjoyed with the little amount of time I've spent with it. Check it out or follow me if your already a member. Till then - Laters
Recently in a lecture I was introduced to the ongoing academic discussion about a question that in my opinion is pointless: What is "art". I'll give the the quick version. "Art" is whatever you want it to be. Simple done right? Maybe. I would have never write about this just based on this but then my Professor continued to expand right into the category of games and specifically video games. Sweet now were talking, something I know more about than my professor. I'm thinking this is going to be good. "Art" and video games. Then he pulls up this video:
Didn't make it all the way through? I don't blame you. Let me sum it up for you. Kellee Santiago thinks video games are "art". She gives several arguments why, all with gaping holes that anyone could walk through and argue the opposite. Then my professor offers the other side of the story presenting this article HERE. If you don't bother to read it I don't blame you and will once again sum it up for you. Roger Ebert thinks that Kellee Santiago is stupid and that video games can never be "art" for reasons that me nor you care about. (if you do read the article)
For me it doesn't matter because both are wrong, kinda. On Santiago's side how can video games be "art" if no one can define "art"? Now I'll agree that there is "art" in a video game but that does not make it "art", it makes it a video game with "art" in it. On the other side I will agree with Ebert, in that video games are not art, but not because of whatever he says but because video games are video games. So to sum up I'm arguing against arguing about this because there shouldn't need to be an argument in the first place. Video games are video games and "art" is "art" whatever "art" might be. Now stepping down from the soapbox. - Laters
Who
has seen the crazy flash mobs all over YouTube? There's tons of them, and most
are really cool to watch. This is a pretty cool phenomena in the last 9-10 years
that I have yet to participate in but would love to get involved. I did a
little quick wiki-research and apparently the first flash mob was performed in
2003 in a Macy's with over 130 people all trying to agree on one "love
rug" to buy. (I'm not making this stuff up I swear.) I'm not sure if I
believe Wiki on the true "first mob" but let's move on. In recent
years there have been countless more all making a scene for the unsuspecting public's enjoyment. There have even been groups created to do these crazy gatherings
like Improv Everywhere. Check them out HERE. Too bad I live on the other side
of the country or I would probably participate in the annual No Pants Subway
Ride. Even better yet though are their MP3 experiments. These are flash mobs
where everyone is listening to the same MP3 track and it tells you what to do! This
is what we in 301 would call a little algorithmic art. Check this video out: (Watch
till the end, it gets a little crazy.)
Yup, epic craziness that I wish I
could have been a part of. Improv does these and many more experiments, each is
as good as the last but they are not alone. There's even prisoners doing it!
Check it:
What? How? Why? Prison? Anyways this
video does bring up a small debacle. Is this really a flash mob or a choreographed
dance? It's hard to define a Flash Mob and the reason is because it is used to describe
everything from 130 people all in Macy's trying to buy one rug, to a Michel
Jackson dance by prisoners. Flash mob in my mind mean a spontaneous gathering
somewhere thus creating a mob. Probably doesn't happen much though. For a more
experienced opinion here's Improv Everywheres' take on it:
How can you call it “improv”? Your
missions are clearly pre-planned!
We are not claiming that what we are doing
is improv. The majority of Improv Everywhere Agents met each other through the
Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York, the nation’s most awesome improv
comedy theatre and school. While staging organized stunts in public places is
obviously completely different from improv comedy in a theatre, the two
activities do share similar techniques. We stay in character at all costs and
usually have no script beyond the mission’s idea. We have no clue how people
are going to react to us, and that is where the improvisation comes in. If I
could go back in time and chose a different name, I would. After 11 years, I
think I’m stuck with it.
Aren't these flash mobs?
No. Improv Everywhere was created about 2
years before the first “flash mob.” While some of our missions may have certain
similarities to a flash mob (large numbers of people engaging in a coordinated
activity in a public place), we have never embraced that term. Some missions
use just a few folks while others might use thousands, depending on what suits
the idea. Also, our projects are rarely over in a flash. Many last for hours.
Over the years the term “flash mob” has
been beaten to death by the media and co-opted by marketers. It’s become a
lazy, catch-all term to describe things as varied as people dancing at a Black
Eyed Peas concert to surprise Oprah Winfrey to teens meeting up to commit
crimes in Chicago. I’m not sure what it even means anymore, and I don’t really
care to use it to describe what we do.
So there you got it. It's not a definitive
answer but no one really cares about what we call them just where and when they
happen. I'd encourage you to try participating in one if you ever get the
chance. Like I said I would love to myself. Maybe I'll run into you at Macy's
one day. Till then - Laters
Ok all my followers check out the coolest thing since sliced potato's. A group of computer nerds (no offense) have created a 3D model of Rome using only pictures pulled off of Google. Here the video:
Wow, it blew my mind the first time I watched it too. For more a more finished project and cool Google Earth layout check out the very cool website HERE. Now if you don't understand why this is so cool let me try and break it down for you. Pictures are essentially a huge grid of cells with numbers in them, each cell corresponding to pixel in your computer screen. The number in the cell tells it what color the pixel should display. Put a bunch of those together and boom we get a picture. Simple. Thats the super simplified version but it will do.
Knowing all that, we know that pictures are a 2D representation of what we took a picture of with do information about depth. Given any picture we cannot find out how far say a tree is in that picture from your camera. So how do these guys create 3D models like these with just pictures? Well its complicated, but a quick answer would be with lots of images. Using bunches of them they can find out through transformation matrices etc. etc. where the cameras took each picture and slowly piece together a kind of point model representation. (watch the video if you dont understand) After they got a kind of skeleton made of thousands of points they lay bits of image over them like a skin. The result is you can see in 3D what a statue or building looks like from 6000 miles away. Who would have thought? I love this kind of innovation and have to tip my hat to the UNC guys for this amazing project. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did - Laters
If you didn't know I'm part of Generation Z or the iGeneration or even better yet the #Generation. What will my generation, whatever you want to call it, be remembered by? Lots, and not a lot of greatness, but in my mind technology is our staple. The internet, video games, TV, laptops and of course the most important tool of the century, the cell/smartphone. No one would argue otherwise. I mean try and name someone you know that doesn't have a cellphone? You probably can't because everyone has one. They are ever present in your pocket or purse. Constantly ringing and vibrating. Most would struggle getting though the day without their trusty dusty iPhone which brings me to the topic of the day, cyborgs.
Now I know what your thinking, cyborgs? Like the ones in the movies? You think they are fake (and they clearly are) but I am going to argue there is one sitting in front of the cellphone or computer screen your reading off of right now. That's right your a cyborg! Panicking yet? Let me explain further. First a definition of a cyborg from my favorite "reliable" web resource Wikipedia.
A cyborg, short for "cybernetic organism", is a being with both biological and artificial
(i.e. electronic, mechanical, or robotic) parts.
So were a being, check, with biological parts, check, with an artificial part attached, I say check. Ask yourself how attached you are to your cellphone right now. I have a good feeling that it is either in your pocket or within arms reach. Needless to say, whether we like it or not, we have an emotional and subconscious attachment to our cellphones. So your a cyborg. Let me trying a further convince you.
Human-computer interaction is an exploding field in today's technology driven economy. Wiki says it "involves the study, planning and design of the interaction between people (users) and computers." A great example is the Google Glass project. Maybe you like the thought of having a little cybernetic help in your everyday life. Take of look:
Yup I'm jealous and when these babies come out I'll be the first in line to pick up a pair. Its kinda hard to see but the idea is you wear these glasses that displays all the information you saw in the video and hopefully more in the future. So here's a perfect example of how we are becoming cyborgs. Technology interfacing with humans beings seamlessly. The ultimate question: is this a good thing?
Try and remember the last time you wrote a letter by hand. Yeah with a pencil or pen. Now remember if you were wishing the whole time you had spell check. I know I do all the time just when taking notes in class. (Of course I'm a terrible speller.) An even more concerning effect of great human-computer interaction is the decay of social skills in the text message/cellphone era. There has been great concern expressed by psychologists and anthropologists over the lack of face to face interaction. Is it hurting the human social scene or helping it? That's for others to argue but an interesting subject to think about.
Still there are countless great stories where this type of technology has only helped those in need. Here Neil Harbisson to demonstrate:
Another great story that hits close to home is Segs4Vets. A organization that gives Segways to injured american veterans. Check out this video narrated by retired USMC Mike Hodge:
I've ridden a Segway and can see why those machines are helping so much in our wounded warriors lives. These are the things that come out of truly amazing innovation in the field of cyborgs and I hope that in the future more projects like these continue to change our lives for the good. - Laters
