Technologies

camera vision+cctv+sensors +

Background to how the 'market' has developed. Which technologies have allowed the products to emerge to the market. What tech concepts are driving the product development. By understanding this we might be able to design the future.

Physical computing; sensors, proximity  (used in soundbeam), and use of cameras via computer vision libraries ( probably in all cases open CV)…(most floor  and wall experiences are done this way. These are the technolgies that they all use to varying degrees. An they all work by separating the shadow denser light areas and applying variables to the rest of the available space. This is used in CCTV in robotics , medical imaging, art installations. And products like sensory walls initiatiated by artists and interactive media specialist are getting box up into this developing market sector.

Common thread and values….finding modularity for design. ( could save a fortune for the schools to develop there own open software open source system, which is what I recommend).

This area of development could be open hardware and should be open source.

Essentially it is all about creating new interfaces …Key Points

Space as interface. Movement as navigation.
Movement as input noise or light output.
Noise as input  and output
Touch as input  Outputs vary ....devices also vary

One has to decide how to best create a technology that will maximize the users aims and objectives …not your aims and objectives for them. Stated like this, it is very much a design process.

Unfortunately its not about creating new content. For example soundbeam is just an interface top and a series of sounds. You use it as component in a system. How you decide to use it….ie like a musical interface, design your own sounds for it and then control and play them…ie arrange and orchestrate, this is what musicians do.

Portable hand held and free devices.

I phone.
HP and mediascape.
Wii controllers  and games already on the market.
Playstation  portable…don’t bother…nothing to offer met them and they had a good pitch.

Playstation 3 next release without controller for oct 2010. Looks really usefully for this area. Tech specs to follow if I can find them.

TUIO

Various open source applications, which have been built using the TUIO framework, with a combination of a TUIO enabled tracker application and a TUIO client implementation for the used programming environment. The provided examples are tangible or multi-touch applications for several programming languages, which can serve as a starting point or inspiration for your own creation.. http://www.tuio.org/?showcase

Other tools in the Labs....whats being made.