project update

[a complete turnaround]

scope, well-revised

well, i've decided to go the capricious route and completely change my project design. 'submergence' had its fans, yes, but i've chosen to submit that to the ars electronica next idea application and allow it to simmer within the throes of conceptual art. the heart-rate thing seemed to be too close for comfort and, incidentally, i haven't had much luck procuring affordable heart rate monitors to tinker with.

the next next idea: quilted pixels. i'm fascinated with custom fabricated textiles + clothing, and moving the invisible digital back into the physical realm. i've been playing with this idea of fabric that is not decorated externally (i.e. silkscreening, iron-on, stitching), but rather has its decoration potential installed internally, as an all-in-one package. the material itself could provide creative resource and decorative possibility to the wearer; the control shifts from the manufacturer and choice-limiter to the consumer as creator.

scenario plays as such: one purchases a stash of 'blank' apparel or accessories, such as one would get white paper. an image could be acquired by the user, either by directly downloading an image to the garment (akin to choosing + ordering a specific ringtone for your phone), capturing an image through a camera (akin to recording a real-time sound as a ringtone), or creating your own image through a drawing pixel program (akin to creation via ringtone composer). after specifying the image + position + color (in an ideal scnario), the wearer inputs the data into the garment and the fabric then dyes itself through pixels that bleed the appropriate colors.

a strong point of this design is that the image would be permanently stained onto the clothing. the fabric isn't merely a dynamic display; it's a conscious action to 'develop' such an image onto oneself, a decisive branding. the color permanence gives it weight + identity significance.

hard stuff: by using quilted fabric, each pixel will hold some sort of dye that will release upon trigger. still trying to figure out the best way to do the color transfer. some ideas: (1) putting dye into capsules (stage-blood-esque, or very weak paintballs) and triggering via physical breakage (electronic pinches?) or a motored grind; (2) using a central reservoir which flows/leaks dye into corresponding pixels by controlling the valves; (3) using thermochromic ink, which changes color with heat. i would want an irreversible type of this dye.

soft stuff: right now so far

fabric: got gobs of white cotton quilted fabric. each pillowed pixel is about half-inch square. research: recipes for stage-blood, thoughts of using gelatine capsules, heating elements, thermochromic dye (colorchange.com, but the website makes your eyes bleed), the ruug project (http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/adrianat/portfolio.html), how high of a resolution needed to convey image without being totally unwieldy (a 5x6 matrix?).

planning ahead

at the very least, would want my own hard-coded designs to appear. would like to make a simple GUI software that would be a pixel-paint program that would enable users to design + download their created designs.

augmented shoes

[twistings]

inspired by this last weekend’s less-than-ideal encounter with the latest spring fashions, i’ve been thinking of ways to embellish and revolutionize the often revered but easily overlooked wearable accessory: the shoe.

in relation to how many choices there are in clothing sizes and silhouettes, most shoes are limited in terms of last (the shape of the foot inside the shoe) and volumetric proportion (foot thickness, or ratio of ball to heel width). save for expensive options like specialty shoes or marginal sizes, human feet are often squeezed into ill-fitting options. since there exists such variable sizing standards among companies and also ‘give’ of certain materials and fabrics, shoe shopping is tedious, imperfect, and usually requires in-person try-out (“if the shoe fits, wear it”). one solution to this might be having a foot scanner that models a person’s physical appendage (this already sort of exists for jeans at selfridges from bodymetrics) and then recommends certain sizes and shapes for the wearer; this way someone could even feel comfortable ordering shoes from a catalog or online. another solution might be to insert sensors into the interior of an existing shoe. either the sensors can be used during the shoe-fitting process (if you try on a shoe, sensors will indicate exactly where tightness or looseness occurs, and recommend a better size), or used within existing footwear to collect data over time (like flatfootedness or necessary heel cushioning) in regards to how a person can obtain shoes that are optimally comfortable and durable.

other thoughts on shoes: it might be helpful if shoes could improve the surface on which they stepped. perhaps there could be a sensor on a shoe that would recognize if it were indoors, and slide an indoors sheath or repellent material along the bottom; the outdoors and indoors sole contamination would be minimized. also, perhaps a cleaning sole could be attached or dispensed so that someone could help keep their floors clean by merely walking about their home over time. toss your swiffer! other ideas would be shoes with built-in pedometers and pressure sensors to record and distinguish low-impact and high-impact activities, an RFID bump-toe interface (input through tapping or kicking an object), and customization via multiple styles of conductive lacings through the eyelets.

augmented reality

[papers]

Augmented Reality: A New Way of Seeing, Steven K. Feiner, 2002
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=0006378C-CDE1-1CC6-B4A8809EC588EEDF


[comments + questions]

• i can clearly see the value in augmented reality perfectly working... the classic examples of the mechanic trying to identify parts + processes, the doctor operating on surgery, someone wishing for a directly mapped navigation. having the information we need when + where we need it would be astonishingly useful, but i think the dream falls short when dealing with the clunky head-worn implementation and troublesome episodes of too-much or too-few or too-irrelevant items of information. until computers truly know what we're thinking or intending, you fear the risk of introducing distracting clutter. the paper doesn't directly address the user interface, namely turning on or off parts of the augmented view, so i'm not exactly sure how the user specifies what to display and when. of course, there's the choice of removing the head display completely to turn off the thing...
  
  
• augmented reality might be good for the individual user in times of displaying helpful information, a selfish sort of functionality, but what happens when you start considering it in the context of social culture? [perhaps engineers don't put this high on the priority list, but...] one of the first scenarios i envisioned was a hopeless lothario-wannabe, who had pickup-lines and love-tips fly into sight while out on a dinner date. the reminders or suggestions ("compliment her outfit, stupid!") would prettily augment her forehead or other well-displayed body parts. although this is a silly, lame example, you might wonder what other people might be augmenting *on* or *what* when they're talking to you. are they projecting their secret pet peeves about you? are they projecting some twisted fantasy, or a banal grocery list? mapping personal information [practically] directly onto another individual seems kind of creepy and inappropriate. it's the same discomfort one feels when approached by someone behind a large camera, or wielding a pair of binoculars. the intermediate object, however benign, dramatically interferes with face-to-face interaction. if the tool becomes invisible or imperceptible, distrust may brew [which we can see today as many establishments now ban camera phones].
  
  
• maybe a more subdued version of AR would be a tool to virtually annotate the physical environment. it would be more of a personal sketchbook or notepad instead of general reference information. instead of seeing a restaurant with all its reviews virtually augmenting its facade (a weird point in which most restaurants do poster their windows with articles and reviews), one could post their own personal experience or dining review onto the restaurant, which would pop up whenever you returned to the establishment. the annotation tool would be more 'the world is your sketchpad' than 'the world is your television'.
  

tangible + ambient

[papers]

Tangible Bits, Ishii + Ullmer, CHI97   [presentation] [videos]
check out website Tangible Media Group

“Slow Technology”, Hallnas & Redstrom

Personal + Ubiquitous Computing Journal Vol 8 Nr 5 Special Issue on Tangible Computing

Ambient Interfaces: Design Challenges and Recommendations, Fraunhofer Institute

Cohen & McGee, Tangible Multi-modal Interfaces 

Mobile Feelings, Sommerer + Laurent Mignonneau

[comments + questions]

• the article i found most appealing and pertinent was the 'slow technology' paper by researchers at the interactive institute in sweden. i sympathize with the motivation behind their work; namely, technology that may not be wholly instanteously gratifying, where you 'get it' not upon immediate use but with extensive and patient degrees of time. the flashy demo + gadgety stuff superficially impresses people, rather than changes their perspectives in interesting and unpredictable ways. can we look to nature for the beauty in slow, reflective processes? seasons change gradually [a harsh winter particularly seems to last forever], yet with each passing year we cry, 'where did all the time go?' there exists a pervasive trend in our culture that looks speedily forward but never stops to treasure the present. technology, with all its power, seems to be primarily utilized to compress time unnaturally, spinning into a perpetual catch 22; i hope that we can balance it out with technology that expands time poetically and artistically. as we appreciate more the everyday tasks and tools, the easily-forgotten yet inarguably-deep associations between ourselves and other people and places garner authenticity and significance.
  
  
• prof. ishii's philosophy manifests itself in seamless computing, where the world becomes the environmental interface, in line with mark weiser's vision of true ubiquitous computing. however, many of the research projects within tmg deal with highly specific task-based tools, harnessed to a flat, finite tabletop augmented with tagged phicons, a projected image, and various cameras and sensors. although touching actual objects has its tangible satisfaction, the table interfaces still seem very much two-dimensional, digitally expressed, and artificially implemented. however, i applaud the non-table projects, such as topobo, comtouch, and the i/o brush. tangible media seems to be most favorably effective when the technology becomes incorporated within, not augmented upon, the physical affordances of the object.
  
  
• the 'guidelines' to designing ambient interfaces by gross seems like a helpful rubric for evaluating a design. however, depending on so many factors such as use, intent, and context, many of the standards could be completely subjective. how does one judge utility? or consistency? a lot of the slow technology philosophy runs counter to this 'efficient computing' setup of standards.
  
  
• globalplug: the swedes are so cool! so are the brits and the dutch and the italians and the japanese! le sigh.
  

disposables

new thoughts on ambient project. will write more later, but for now, a glimpse.

+ + + + = news you can use.

stay tuned, folks. it's gonna be good.

submergence thoughts + review

so i presented the proposal to both my group and to the class. here are some insights:

• changed the name from gory to hunkydory. bloodbath has been shed for submergence.
• issue with changing either the medium, or the message. general sentiment was that there wasn't a clear side on whether the communication was awareness or actively sent love messages.
• rings around the tub to indicate time markers seemed a good idea; could it reflect comparisons? patterns?
  
• what kind of history would be displayed or available? is this daily or tracked over time?
• adding an indicator which would reflect a proactive input
• water + technology is a cool area to explore
• is there a more immediate mapping?
• bath-taking might become a time-draining chore
• dedication vs. responsibility
  

other works to check out: natalie jerimijenko's watches and mobile feelings by christa SOMMERER & laurent MIGNONNEAU.

submergence presentation

did mini-presentation regarding tub project for house_n and for mas961. view the svelte powerpoint show here.

background courtesy of pixelgirl presents.

user-modeling systems

[papers]

Alfred Kobsa, Generic User Modeling Systems, User Modeling and User-Adapted Interaction, v.11 n.1-2, p.49-63, 2001
read on springerlink


[comments + questions]

• i wasnt sure exactly what i was supposed to glean from this paper. i was a little confused in that it didnt quite elaborate on what a user-modeling system actually *did*, rather than what how this system might be used for research or commercial purposes. it was tricky for me to glean the 'why' and 'how' from a fuzzy 'what'. however, it provided a very broad view of its general usage, and brought up a lot of the personalization versus privacy issue. there's a delicate balance between a merchant knowing your personal habits so it may tailor itself to you (for the consumer's benefit + convenience), and advertisers completely occupying your attention with uber-techniqued, scarily specific targeted marketing. i think it might be a way to have completely unbiased (a pipe-dream, perhaps) 3rd parties that mediate between consumer and companies, such as froogle, sidestep, or epinions. imagine a client software that would act as your agent, without feeding you targeted ads in the sidebar! or a consumer could specify the level of privacy / convenience they'd like to leverage.
  
  
• the paper talks mostly about the advent of web personalization, but i wonder what user-modeling in the physical world would entail. could there be a system which took a time + spatial monitor of an individual's activity and then... what? you could do a parallel with brick+mortar stores. scenario: each time i walk into anthropologie (clothing), i can access all the items i browsed through or tried on the last time i was physically at the store, or some items that i specifically tagged on the online catalog. then perhaps there would be a special rack or dressing room just for me with items that anthropologie thought i might like based on my previous interested purchases.
  
  
• as to online systems, other than personal accounts at the store, there isn't a great way to identify users, and consequently their purchases, preferences, etc. that comprise the user model. what happens if someone else uses my machine and unwittingly purchased something while i was logged in? it might jumble up the data, or at least put something on my history that's inaccurate. more accuracy --> more invasive identification strategies --> less privacy --> big brother! aah!
  

project proposal : bloodbath

What is it & why is it interesting?

the motivation for this project was to connect two people [lovers] who live apart, people who want to relate to each other and communicate more effectively their presence, emotion, and love for the other beyond the limitations of current technology (IM, telephone, webcam, etc). i wanted to incorporate a more tactile, enveloping mode of spanning two remote bodies in a meaningful, tangible, and poetic way.

when apart from someone with which you share an intimate relationship with, many small, yet significant things are felt to be missing: the simple act of touch, a warm breath on the skin, the feeling of a heartbeat. signs which bring a lover to life are the fundamentals, the most human.

the inspiration for 'bloodbath' [i may change this name if people find it a too gory connotation, but the reasons for this will become clearer] is the basic record of a heartbeat. a heartbeat signifies life; changes in the pulse indicate periods of activity and rest, excitement and relaxation. an easy way to 'communicate' this sign is to pulse the signal of one's heartbeat to the other lover in some noticeable way, but i wanted to create a subtle, effective mapping. blinking a light or vibrating something would probably be too distracting, or over-pique the curiosity, or just confuse the mapping completely.

then i thought... the human body is the perfect 'computer', the perfect machine. at rest, the human heart beats roughly 60 times a minute, every hour of every day. that's a lot of pumping, day in and day out! at the very basic level, that's 86400 throbs; add in exercise and other heart-racing enablers, and the number increases. while living life, you don't really fathom the sheer aggregate effort of your heart's efforts.

i want to visualize + embody this fascinating feat, this priceless human energy, into something to be communicated and appreciated fully, preciously, and completely.

Usage Scenario

'bloodbath' takes this element of one's heartbeat, and translates it to a drop of water in the remote lover's bathtub. one tiny drop: 1 mL. the frequency of droplets would directly correspond to the pulsations of the other. droplets one after another wouldn't seem like much, but 86400 mL (minimum amount for a day's worth) translates to roughly 23 gallons of water, which is about half the capacity of a standard bathtub.

at the end of the day, the lover has a full bath drawn for them, and can enjoy and relax in the waters, which were 'shed' from the heart of their beloved. the bather has full control; they can supplement the water or drain it slightly, but the accumulated water in the tub is the embodiment of their lover's liveliness, the physical beating of their heart. to bathe in such waters is akin to enjoying a priceless gift. the tub, sensing that it is being used, sends feedback to the heartbeater, perhaps a warmth on their skin or a glow on their device [more on that in the next section.]

one might argue that the daily bath might take too much time if the other is busy or doesn't feel like a bath. however, this system enforces an implicit commitment to sensually indulge, to take at least a moment of the day to unwind and relax. in long-distance relationships, there's a dangerous tendency to take the other for granted for a day (or two, or three, or...), or obliviously neglect the other for an indeterminate amount [i.e. not calling, not writing]. the act of bathing becomes a metaphor for intimacy, for sharing a special quiet time together, for wrapping oneself in the generous warmth of the other. 'bloodbath' infuses a relationship with something shared that's very ritualistic, very intimate, very enveloping.

[side note: in tom robbin's jitterbug perfume, the bathing rituals of alobar and kudra are one of the key components to their immortality.]

How will it be implemented?

i envision the heartbeat being recorded by a simple heartrate monitor (i'm currently playing with one from polar), a wearable component mounted on a chest-strap. for a female, this situates right underneath the breasts; the monitor could easily be embedded in any sort of lingerie with a bra-like strap around the chest. many innovative, sexy, and pleasurably tactile designs could be developed through this wearable interface. this device would be easy for a girl to wear, since most put on some sort of bra undergarment on a daily basis. for a guy, the heartrate monitor could be on a wristwatch, or possibly embedded within a tight undershirt. in both cases, normal perspiration would lubricate the electrodes.

each heartrate monitor would have a unique address and a unique addressable partner. these pulsation signals would be wirelessly transmitted to a server, which would route and transmit the signals to a receiver in the water valve of the remote tub. netlag wouldn't really be an issue in this system because the transmitted signal is pretty constant... drip drip drip drip.

the tub itself is mostly standard; the user can turn on the faucet or open the drain at will. even if the lover isnt wearing the heartrate monitor for any reason, it wouldn't restrict water flow in the other's bathroom or anything. there's always a way for the user to override the technology in either direction.

however, the tub would be very energy-efficient as far as heat, having some sort of covering, and possessing an effective thermo-insulative property. this way the tub would keep warm, and perhaps radiate heat throughout the bathroom and living quarters, a source of living comfort.

there would be sensors in the tub that would indicate if someone was taking a bath or not. either infrared or weight or light sensors embedded in the bottom of the tub. if it senses that the user is taking the 'bloodbath', it send a signal back to the wearer of the heartrate monitor. the heartbeater would definitely benefit from this feedback (knowing their 'efforts' of love are consummated through the bath], though i'm still musing on the best way to do this. since the device rests on the chest already, something subtly 'felt' would probably be best, either slight warmth or a imperceptible purring.

What parts will you complete for this class?

ideally, i'd like to get the heart rate monitor to control a water valve that's wired up to it, releasing a droplet with each throb, gushing if my heart's racing. i'll experiment with different ways in which to embed the device in a wearable garment... lingerie, belts, wristbands. i will also do some user studies, if only with paper prototypes, to see what long-distance lovers might think of this mode of communication, of a bridging metaphor. is it pleasurable? is it creepy? how much control do they feel of the system? would they be comfortably implementing it in their homes? if i have time, i can experiment with other signals such as breathing, blinking, and touch, and translating that over to... aromatherapeutic infusions? secretive tickling? tiny sparks of spice in every bite?

What do you hope to learn?

i would like to explore the intersection between human social relationships, mapping behaviors via remote delivery, and delving into the spatial architectural interaction which develops. right now there isn't much tactile long-range communications, and i want to find the tricky balance between 'this feels like we're close' and 'this feels like a technology is trying to bring us close'. i want the everyday habits and objects to reflect more of who we are, and how they reflect our values.