Procrastinating in the Heat

Apple bite

mdelamerced — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:46:33 +0000

import oscP5.*; OscP5 oscP5;


//crane[] crane;

 PImage crane1;

 PImage crane2;

 PImage crane3;

 PImage crane4;

 PImage crane5;

 PImage apple;
String crane= "crane1, crane2, crane3, crane4, crane5";
PVector posePosition;

 boolean found;

 float eyeLeftHeight;

 float eyeRightHeight;

 float mouthHeight;

 float mouthWidth;

 float nostrilHeight;

 float leftEyebrowHeight;

 float rightEyebrowHeight;
float[] chew = new float [5];

 //float[] crane = new float [crane1, crane2, crane3, crane4, crane5];
//float chew = 0;
PVector[] meshPoints;
float poseScale;
void setup() {

 size(640, 480);

 frameRate(30);
for (int i =0; i < chew.length; i++) {

 chew[i] += 1;

 }
//  crane = new crane [crane1, crane2, crane3, crane4, crane5];

 crane1 = loadImage("crane01.JPG");

 crane2 = loadImage("crane02.JPG");

 crane3 = loadImage("crane03.JPG");

 crane4 = loadImage("crane04.JPG");

 crane5 = loadImage("crane05.JPG");

 apple = loadImage("apple.jpg");
meshPoints = new PVector[66];
for (int i = 0; i < meshPoints.length; i++) {

 meshPoints[i] = new PVector();

 }
oscP5 = new OscP5(this, 8338);

 oscP5.plug(this, "mouthWidthReceived", "/gesture/mouth/width");

 oscP5.plug(this, "mouthHeightReceived", "/gesture/mouth/height");

 oscP5.plug(this, "eyebrowLeftReceived", "/gesture/eyebrow/left");

 oscP5.plug(this, "eyebrowRightReceived", "/gesture/eyebrow/right");

 oscP5.plug(this, "eyeLeftReceived", "/gesture/eye/left");

 oscP5.plug(this, "eyeRightReceived", "/gesture/eye/right");

 oscP5.plug(this, "jawReceived", "/gesture/jaw");

 oscP5.plug(this, "nostrilsReceived", "/gesture/nostrils");

 oscP5.plug(this, "found", "/found");

 oscP5.plug(this, "poseOrientation", "/pose/orientation");

 oscP5.plug(this, "posePosition", "/pose/position");

 oscP5.plug(this, "poseScale", "/pose/scale");

 oscP5.plug(this, "loadMesh", "/raw");

 }
void draw() {

 background(0);

 stroke(100);

 /*

 for (int i=0; i  1) {

 image(apple, 0, 0, 640, 480);

 }

 //}

 /* if (found) {

 fill(255);

 for (int i = 0; i  0) {

 PVector prev = meshPoints[i-1];

 line(prev.x, prev.y, p.x, p.y);

 }

 }*/
/translate(posePosition.x, posePosition.y);

 scale(poseScale);

 noFill();

 // ellipse(0,0, 3,3);

 ellipse(-20, eyeLeftHeight * -9, 20, 7);

 ellipse(20, eyeRightHeight * -9, 20, 7);

 ellipse(0, 20, mouthWidth 3, mouthHeight * 3);

 ellipse(-5, nostrilHeight * -1, 7, 3);

 ellipse(5, nostrilHeight * -1, 7, 3);

 rectMode(CENTER);

 fill(0);

 rect(-20, leftEyebrowHeight * -5, 25, 5);

 rect(20, rightEyebrowHeight * -5, 25, 5);

 */

 }

 //}
public void mouthWidthReceived(float w) {

 // println("mouth Width: " + w);

 mouthWidth = w;

 }
public void mouthHeightReceived(float h) {

 println("mouth height: " + h);

 mouthHeight = h;

 }
public void eyebrowLeftReceived(float h) {

 // println("eyebrow left: " + h);

 leftEyebrowHeight = h;

 }
public void eyebrowRightReceived(float h) {

 // println("eyebrow right: " + h);

 rightEyebrowHeight = h;

 }
public void eyeLeftReceived(float h) {

 // println("eye left: " + h);

 eyeLeftHeight = h;

 }
public void eyeRightReceived(float h) {

 // println("eye right: " + h);

 eyeRightHeight = h;

 }
public void jawReceived(float h) {

 // println("jaw: " + h);

 }
public void nostrilsReceived(float h) {

 // println("nostrils: " + h);

 nostrilHeight = h;

 }
public void found(int i) {

 println("found: " + i); // 1 == found, 0 == not found

 found = i == 1;

 }
public void posePosition(float x, float y) {

 //println("pose position\tX: " + x + " Y: " + y );

 posePosition = new PVector(x, y);

 }
public void poseScale(float s) {

 //println("scale: " + s);

 poseScale = s;

 }
public void poseOrientation(float x, float y, float z) {

 //println("pose orientation\tX: " + x + " Y: " + y + " Z: " + z);

 }
public void loadMesh(float x0, float y0, float x1, float y1, float x2, float y2, float x3, float y3, float x4, float y4, float x5, float y5, float x6, float y6, float x7, float y7, float x8, float y8, float x9, float y9, float x10, float y10, float x11, float y11, float x12, float y12, float x13, float y13, float x14, float y14, float x15, float y15, float x16, float y16, float x17, float y17, float x18, float y18, float x19, float y19, float x20, float y20, float x21, float y21, float x22, float y22, float x23, float y23, float x24, float y24, float x25, float y25, float x26, float y26, float x27, float y27, float x28, float y28, float x29, float y29, float x30, float y30, float x31, float y31, float x32, float y32, float x33, float y33, float x34, float y34, float x35, float y35, float x36, float y36, float x37, float y37, float x38, float y38, float x39, float y39, float x40, float y40, float x41, float y41, float x42, float y42, float x43, float y43, float x44, float y44, float x45, float y45, float x46, float y46, float x47, float y47, float x48, float y48, float x49, float y49, float x50, float y50, float x51, float y51, float x52, float y52, float x53, float y53, float x54, float y54, float x55, float y55, float x56, float y56, float x57, float y57, float x58, float y58, float x59, float y59, float x60, float y60, float x61, float y61, float x62, float y62, float x63, float y63, float x64, float y64, float x65, float y65) {

 println("loading mesh...");

 meshPoints[0].x = x0;

 meshPoints[0].y = y0;

 meshPoints[1].x = x1;

 meshPoints[1].y = y1;

 meshPoints[2].x = x2;

 meshPoints[2].y = y2;

 meshPoints[3].x = x3;

 meshPoints[3].y = y3;

 meshPoints[4].x = x4;

 meshPoints[4].y = y4;

 meshPoints[5].x = x5;

 meshPoints[5].y = y5;

 meshPoints[6].x = x6;

 meshPoints[6].y = y6;

 meshPoints[7].x = x7;

 meshPoints[7].y = y7;

 meshPoints[8].x = x8;

 meshPoints[8].y = y8;

 meshPoints[9].x = x9;

 meshPoints[9].y = y9;

 meshPoints[10].x = x10;

 meshPoints[10].y = y10;

 meshPoints[11].x = x11;

 meshPoints[11].y = y11;

 meshPoints[12].x = x12;

 meshPoints[12].y = y12;

 meshPoints[13].x = x13;

 meshPoints[13].y = y13;

 meshPoints[14].x = x14;

 meshPoints[14].y = y14;

 meshPoints[15].x = x15;

 meshPoints[15].y = y15;

 meshPoints[16].x = x16;

 meshPoints[16].y = y16;

 meshPoints[17].x = x17;

 meshPoints[17].y = y17;

 meshPoints[18].x = x18;

 meshPoints[18].y = y18;

 meshPoints[19].x = x19;

 meshPoints[19].y = y19;

 meshPoints[20].x = x20;

 meshPoints[20].y = y20;

 meshPoints[21].x = x21;

 meshPoints[21].y = y21;

 meshPoints[22].x = x22;

 meshPoints[22].y = y22;

 meshPoints[23].x = x23;

 meshPoints[23].y = y23;

 meshPoints[24].x = x24;

 meshPoints[24].y = y24;

 meshPoints[25].x = x25;

 meshPoints[25].y = y25;

 meshPoints[26].x = x26;

 meshPoints[26].y = y26;

 meshPoints[27].x = x27;

 meshPoints[27].y = y27;

 meshPoints[28].x = x28;

 meshPoints[28].y = y28;

 meshPoints[29].x = x29;

 meshPoints[29].y = y29;

 meshPoints[30].x = x30;

 meshPoints[30].y = y30;

 meshPoints[31].x = x31;

 meshPoints[31].y = y31;

 meshPoints[32].x = x32;

 meshPoints[32].y = y32;

 meshPoints[33].x = x33;

 meshPoints[33].y = y33;

 meshPoints[34].x = x34;

 meshPoints[34].y = y34;

 meshPoints[35].x = x35;

 meshPoints[35].y = y35;

 meshPoints[36].x = x36;

 meshPoints[36].y = y36;

 meshPoints[37].x = x37;

 meshPoints[37].y = y37;

 meshPoints[38].x = x38;

 meshPoints[38].y = y38;

 meshPoints[39].x = x39;

 meshPoints[39].y = y39;

 meshPoints[40].x = x40;

 meshPoints[40].y = y40;

 meshPoints[41].x = x41;

 meshPoints[41].y = y41;

 meshPoints[42].x = x42;

 meshPoints[42].y = y42;

 meshPoints[43].x = x43;

 meshPoints[43].y = y43;

 meshPoints[44].x = x44;

 meshPoints[44].y = y44;

 meshPoints[45].x = x45;

 meshPoints[45].y = y45;

 meshPoints[46].x = x46;

 meshPoints[46].y = y46;

 meshPoints[47].x = x47;

 meshPoints[47].y = y47;

 meshPoints[48].x = x48;

 meshPoints[48].y = y48;

 meshPoints[49].x = x49;

 meshPoints[49].y = y49;

 meshPoints[50].x = x50;

 meshPoints[50].y = y50;

 meshPoints[51].x = x51;

 meshPoints[51].y = y51;

 meshPoints[52].x = x52;

 meshPoints[52].y = y52;

 meshPoints[53].x = x53;

 meshPoints[53].y = y53;

 meshPoints[54].x = x54;

 meshPoints[54].y = y54;

 meshPoints[55].x = x55;

 meshPoints[55].y = y55;

 meshPoints[56].x = x56;

 meshPoints[56].y = y56;

 meshPoints[57].x = x57;

 meshPoints[57].y = y57;

 meshPoints[58].x = x58;

 meshPoints[58].y = y58;

 meshPoints[59].x = x59;

 meshPoints[59].y = y59;

 meshPoints[60].x = x60;

 meshPoints[60].y = y60;

 meshPoints[61].x = x61;

 meshPoints[61].y = y61;

 meshPoints[62].x = x62;

 meshPoints[62].y = y62;

 meshPoints[63].x = x63;

 meshPoints[63].y = y63;

 meshPoints[64].x = x64;

 meshPoints[64].y = y64;

 meshPoints[65].x = x65;

 meshPoints[65].y = y65;

 }
void oscEvent(OscMessage theOscMessage) {

 if (theOscMessage.isPlugged()==false) {

 println("UNPLUGGED: " + theOscMessage);

 }

 }

Tagged: faceosc, ITP, nyu, processing

Face tracking projects

mdelamerced — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 21:12:24 +0000

In car face tracking – to detect driver fatigue and other behavior.
PS Eye head tracking to move the POV of the game according to the position of the head.
Example
Facial tracking in cars to control objects in the car and identify the driver.
Facial recognition for identification of people in photos as depicted in Apple’s iPhoto and Aperture
To target objects in real life and fire deadly missles like Apache Helicopter Pilots.

Tagged: face tracking, ITP, nyu

How to get from point A to point B

mdelamerced — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 03:15:17 +0000

I’ve made documentaries before and it’s not something entirely new. We would basically tell a story and the one way of telling a story is just simply to move forward. “Connecting” seems to be just as complicated as it sounds.

For one, no longer do you have a captured audience for them to digest your work in one sitting. The audience can now jump from one part of your story to another. They can now view your documentary on their own time and only the parts that they are interested in. So is there a way for the filmmaker’s view to translate properly into the hyperlinked form?

I think it’s possible but I think the material requires two different approaches resulting in the same ending. There will be path as determined by the author to be the “true vision” for the work. This is exactly as the creator determined it and should be experienced as such. The other path would be the one created by the user as they go along the story on their time and their own interests.

With this in mind I think traditional documentary methods still hold true for two of my proposals. One is the train ride and the other is Woody Allen map of Manhattan but I think I can narrow it down to his film (Manhattan, 1979).

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=new+york+city&aq=&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=14.84512,90&t=w&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=New+York&ll=40.714353,-74.005973&spn=0.080645,0.175781&z=13&output=embed

View Larger Map

For “Manhattan”, there are various sources for the film such as the Internet Movie Database and Google Maps to determine these locations. For instance, the iconic scene with Woody Allen and Diane Keaton was shot exactly on this spot. As you can see today, there is no park bench. I wonder what this place looks like at sunrise, as depicted in the film.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=embed&hl=en&geocode=&q=E+59th+St,+New+York,+NY&aq=0&oq=59&sll=40.761958,-73.973443&sspn=0.027565,0.175781&t=w&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=E+59th+St,+New+York&ll=40.761553,-73.966584&spn=79.695795,180&z=3&layer=c&panoid=69sIySJ7ZVcr3Yfe3RQIPQ&cbll=40.757793,-73.959552&cbp=13,107.65876970508172,,0,5.099324376664313&output=svembed

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=embed&hl=en&geocode=&q=E+59th+St,+New+York,+NY&aq=0&oq=59&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=42.987658,90&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=E+59th+St,+New+York&t=h&layer=c&cbll=40.757793,-73.959552&panoid=69sIySJ7ZVcr3Yfe3RQIPQ&cbp=13,109.18,,0,0.44&ll=40.751825,-73.96142&spn=0.020416,0.048237&z=14&output=svembed

View Larger Map

Then embed this scene,

That should work. It would allow the film to be enjoyed in a different way. Something like that.

As for the train, I’ve downloaded maps and brochures from Amtrak that would get me to the west coast. Sadly I couldn’t find an API for Amtrak but Google Maps does the same anyway.

Based on the railyway system of the US, there are two ways to the west, either through the north or sounth, the tracks don’t exactly cross the US like the highways. Also, it would take two trains. The Lake Shore Limited and the California Zephyr. I think this is where the two paths I mentioned above can be created. One is my own journey on the train that would include, videos, pictures, and posts from along the train that would be the filmmaker’s point of view. The other is where the user follow the train as it went through the track in real time via Google Earth. The user can then see the stops that are marked along the way to get from point A to point B and any historical significance it would have. This would also work along the east coast, but I think riding across the country would be very exciting. Or maybe California Highway 1.

Technologies I think I see in integrating would be:

HTML5
Google Maps API
YouTube API
a bit of Javascript

That’s all I can think of for now.

Tagged: API, connected, documentary, html5

Moments in panels

mdelamerced — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 04:21:55 +0000

This week’s homework examines on the different ways we can combine words and images.

Interdependent

Word Specific

Parallel

Picture specific

Personally, I preferred the picture specific method in this particular story of me crashing my bike. I think the the ability to convey the story using images conveys more emotion. I leave it to the imagination of the reader on how painful the crash was or the feeling of your life flashing right before your eyes. No words can properly explain that.

Tagged: comics, ITP, moments, nyu

Skeletal tracking

mdelamerced — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 17:08:14 +0000

This week Kim Ash and I worked together on the skeletal tracking of the Kinect using OpenNI. The idea is when you reach a pose, a “nuclear” explosion occurs. Using the code sample from ITP Resident Greg Borenstien’s book “Making Things See, 2011″, it was fairly straightforward enough to get the skeletal tracking in place.

We wanted the explosion to occur once the two outstretched arms were in place.

In this image, we just wanted to track the arms. This is possible using the OpenNI commands:

  kinect.getJointPositionSkeleton(userId, SimpleOpenNI.SKEL_RIGHT_HAND, rightHand);
  kinect.getJointPositionSkeleton(userId, SimpleOpenNI.SKEL_RIGHT_ELBOW, rightElbow);
  kinect.getJointPositionSkeleton(userId, SimpleOpenNI.SKEL_RIGHT_SHOULDER, rightShoulder);
  kinect.getJointPositionSkeleton(userId, SimpleOpenNI.SKEL_LEFT_SHOULDER, leftShoulder);
  kinect.getJointPositionSkeleton(userId, SimpleOpenNI.SKEL_LEFT_ELBOW, leftElbow);
  kinect.getJointPositionSkeleton(userId, SimpleOpenNI.SKEL_LEFT_HAND, leftHand);

Then by using an “if” statement, it was just measuring the position of the joints that would give the outstretched arms pose.

if (rightElbow.y > rightShoulder.y && rightElbow.x > rightShoulder.x && leftElbow.y > leftShoulder.y && leftElbow.x > leftShoulder.x) {
stroke(255);
}
else {
tint(255, 255);
image(cloud, 840, 130, 206, 283);
explosion.play();
// stroke(255, 0, 0);
}
kinect.drawLimb(userId, SimpleOpenNI.SKELRIGHTSHOULDER, SimpleOpenNI.SKELRIGHTELBOW);
kinect.drawLimb(userId, SimpleOpenNI.SKELLEFTSHOULDER, SimpleOpenNI.SKELLEFTELBOW);

  // right hand above right elbow
  // AND
  // right hand right of right elbow
  if (rightHand.y > rightElbow.y && rightHand.x > rightElbow.x && leftHand.y > leftElbow.y && leftHand.x > leftElbow.x) {
    stroke(255);
  }
  else {
     tint(255, 255);
     image(cloud, 840, 130, 206, 283);
     explosion.play();
 //   stroke(255, 0, 0);
  }
  kinect.drawLimb(userId, SimpleOpenNI.SKEL_RIGHT_HAND, SimpleOpenNI.SKEL_RIGHT_ELBOW);
  kinect.drawLimb(userId, SimpleOpenNI.SKEL_LEFT_HAND, SimpleOpenNI.SKEL_LEFT_ELBOW);
}

Which results in this:

We wanted a better screen capture but for some reason this sketch didn’t like Ambrosia’s SnapzPro.

Full code:

import ddf.minim.;
import ddf.minim.signals.;
import ddf.minim.analysis.;
import ddf.minim.effects.;

Minim minim;
AudioPlayer explosion;

import SimpleOpenNI.*;
SimpleOpenNI kinect;
PImage back;
PImage cloud;

void setup() {
size(640*2, 480);
back = loadImage(“desert.png”);
cloud = loadImage(“cloud.png”);
// imageMode(CENTER);

minim = new Minim(this);
explosion = minim.loadFile(“explosion.mp3″);

kinect = new SimpleOpenNI(this);
kinect.enableDepth();
kinect.enableRGB();
kinect.enableUser(SimpleOpenNI.SKELPROFILEALL);
strokeWeight(5);
}

void draw() {
background(0);
kinect.update();
image(kinect.depthImage(), 0, 0);
// image(kinect.rgbImage(),640,0);
image(back, 640, 0, 640, 480);

IntVector userList = new IntVector();
kinect.getUsers(userList);
if (userList.size() > 0) {
int userId = userList.get(0);
if ( kinect.isTrackingSkeleton(userId)) {
PVector rightHand = new PVector();
PVector rightElbow = new PVector();
PVector rightShoulder = new PVector();
PVector leftHand = new PVector();
PVector leftElbow = new PVector();
PVector leftShoulder = new PVector();

  kinect.getJointPositionSkeleton(userId, SimpleOpenNI.SKEL_RIGHT_HAND, rightHand);
  kinect.getJointPositionSkeleton(userId, SimpleOpenNI.SKEL_RIGHT_ELBOW, rightElbow);
  kinect.getJointPositionSkeleton(userId, SimpleOpenNI.SKEL_RIGHT_SHOULDER, rightShoulder);
  kinect.getJointPositionSkeleton(userId, SimpleOpenNI.SKEL_LEFT_SHOULDER, leftShoulder);
  kinect.getJointPositionSkeleton(userId, SimpleOpenNI.SKEL_LEFT_ELBOW, leftElbow);
  kinect.getJointPositionSkeleton(userId, SimpleOpenNI.SKEL_LEFT_HAND, leftHand);

  // right elbow above right shoulder
  // AND
  // right elbow right of right shoulder
  if (rightElbow.y > rightShoulder.y && rightElbow.x > rightShoulder.x && leftElbow.y > leftShoulder.y && leftElbow.x > leftShoulder.x) {
    stroke(255);
  }
  else {
     tint(255, 255);
     image(cloud, 840, 130, 206, 283);
     explosion.play();
   // stroke(255, 0, 0);
  }
  kinect.drawLimb(userId, SimpleOpenNI.SKEL_RIGHT_SHOULDER, SimpleOpenNI.SKEL_RIGHT_ELBOW);
  kinect.drawLimb(userId, SimpleOpenNI.SKEL_LEFT_SHOULDER, SimpleOpenNI.SKEL_LEFT_ELBOW);

  // right hand above right elbow
  // AND
  // right hand right of right elbow
  if (rightHand.y > rightElbow.y && rightHand.x > rightElbow.x && leftHand.y > leftElbow.y && leftHand.x > leftElbow.x) {
    stroke(255);
  }
  else {
     tint(255, 255);
     image(cloud, 840, 130, 206, 283);
     explosion.play();
 //   stroke(255, 0, 0);
  }
  kinect.drawLimb(userId, SimpleOpenNI.SKEL_RIGHT_HAND, SimpleOpenNI.SKEL_RIGHT_ELBOW);
  kinect.drawLimb(userId, SimpleOpenNI.SKEL_LEFT_HAND, SimpleOpenNI.SKEL_LEFT_ELBOW);
}

}
}

// user-tracking callbacks!
void onNewUser(int userId) {
println(“start pose detection”);
kinect.startPoseDetection(“Psi”, userId);
}

void onEndCalibration(int userId, boolean successful) {
if (successful) {
println(” User calibrated !!!”);
kinect.startTrackingSkeleton(userId);
}
else {
println(” Failed to calibrate user !!!”);
kinect.startPoseDetection(“Psi”, userId);
}
}

void onStartPose(String pose, int userId) {
println(“Started pose for user”);
kinect.stopPoseDetection(userId);
kinect.requestCalibrationSkeleton(userId, true);
}

void keyPressed() {

switch(key)
{
case ‘ ‘:
kinect.setMirror(!kinect.mirror());
break;
}
}

void close () {
explosion.close();
minim.stop();
super.stop();
}

Tagged: ITP, kinect, nuclear, nyu, processing

10 years from now, the Kinect will be…

mdelamerced — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 05:39:36 +0000

It will be used to track a person’s movements in a moving vehicle. I see the technology to be able to see the effects of crash tests and impact test on vehicles.
This could actually be used to take body measurements for various applications such as customized furniture and equipment like bicycles.
all connected and in a Batman Dark Knight sort of way, spy on us and give intelligence agencies a real time 3D visual map of any area that the camera sees.
The Star Trek holodeck could actually be real in my lifetime. With Kinect cameras to capture the real world in real time, it could be recreated in a holodeck somewhere for us to interact in.
We are no longer limited by the size of our screen to use our computer. Minority Report gesture control has now arrived to our homes.
Assitive technology for those who have no depth perception. The sad thing about current 3D technology is that it requires viewers to have both eyes to view the 3D image. Using kinect technology, I think we can use it to scan the world and display it in such a way that we won’t get dizzy with the fancy images.
Virtual presence scanner. Imagine you can be “physically” present anywhere with your 3D scanned image using the Kinect and brought elsewhere.
TV is now a thing of the past. Shows are now projected directly into your room. Video cameras will have kinect technology that will allow projectors to display the action right in your living room.
It will be used to automate preparation of food. Imagine. You’ll never have to de bone a fish or chicken for dinner. Current technology relies on X-ray snapshots in a machine that only belongs in a factory. What if this could be in your house. I think it would be awesome.

10. and lastly, the Kinect technology could be used to follow the human body as it approaches a screen for the image on the screen to adjust to the depth opf field of the user. Objects in the mirror may appear closer.

So there you have it. My ten predictions for the future. Some of them are already here. But who knows what the future brings.

Tagged: computational cameras, ITP, kinect, nyu

Max Sonar EZ1 critique

mdelamerced — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 21:17:00 +0000

In the Sensor Workshop class, I was paired with Mark Breneman to find, update, edit, and critique a sensor report already posted in the ITP wiki as a guide for the ITP community. We chose the MaxSonar EZ-1 sensor form Maxbotix.

Most of the codes posted are based on PBASIC and must be translated to Arduino C since most of ITP uses the Arduino microntroller for our projects. Will edit the wiki further before Wednesday and add links to pictures and diagrams.

Tagged: ITP, nyu, PCOMP, sensors

Documentary ideas

mdelamerced — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 20:50:00 +0000

We were asked to list possible ideas for a documentary that we can complete this semester so here’s what I came up with. So on the flight back to NY I came up with this list.

1.) *Woody Allen’s Manhattan/ New York
2.) Recycling day/ reusable bags/ plastic bag consumption
    I hate the recycling system of NY that it has to be in bags. Feels so 3rd world. That’s how they collect garbage in my neighborhood back home.
3.)* hybrid or petrol cars
    why hybrid
    why petrol
4.) Winter in New York
5.) Do you know where your water comes from?
6.) Email and letters
    Do letters have a greater impact?
7.) What’s in a New York minute? Why does it feel that time moves faster in New York than in any other city I’ve been to?
8.) What’s in the cameraphone pictures?
    why use your cameraphone?
    has it turned into something else?
9.) Train ride along the atlantic coast or cross country during spring break
10.) All in the family.

The ones with a “*” were presented in class.

My comments on each topic:

1. I’ve been a fan of Woody Allen’s films since I saw Manhattan in one of my film classes in 1994. I think that no other filmmaker has shot that many films in one city for more than 30 years. Using geolocation, it’s possible to factor in the locationsas well as the scenes from his movies. There are places that he revisits after 10 movies and uses them again. My documentary would visit the places research on the film and the location and significance for the American auteur.

2. Recyling here in NY is madness. I find it weird that you would have to store your recyclables or let’s just say segregate our garbage into plastic bags. Isn’t the point of recycling is to get rid of the plastic. Not to mention that someone has to physically pick up the garbage from your curb because trashbins work because someone will steal it. Seriously?!

3. The debate between alternative energy is if interest to be especially when it comes to automobiles. There is more to commercial hybrid cars and petrol cars than most people realize. For example, petrol cars run and will consume the gas that is in the tanks. But as the vehicle gets lighter, the car becomes less fuel hungry (unless of course you’re driving a 3.0 liter engine that just guzzles the gas). Then there’s the hybrid, the batteries don’t get lighter as you drive longer thus keeping your car at almost the same weight it started with. Then there’s the issue with the electric cars, how far will it actually run?

4. Winter in New York I was told is quite an experience. I was here this time last year in between blizzards for the group interview at ITP and it was brutal. But sadly I don’t think this might work out since it’s only snowed twice the whole time I’ve been at ITP and one of them was in October.

5. Just a thought on where the city water comes from. On second thought I don’t think I’d like to know.

6. There is a digital divide when it comes to emails and letters. Why does it feel more special when you receive a letter from someone compared to an email? Why do letters mean more to your senator or congressman (1 letter = 2000 constituents) than an email campaign?

7. title speaks for itself.

8. Cameraphones has replaced the Polaroid and the snapshot in an instant. Why? why why why? Is there room left for the professional?

9. I was facinated by American trains in particular form one business trip to DC. I was coming from Richmond, VA and instead of renting a car, I decided to take the train. It was a pleasant surprise seeing another side of the country. I think railways were built first before roads because roads were was just dirt trampled over by horses and herds. Railways on the other hand are deliberate paths built to get from point A to point B. Even more so in the United States where it connected the East and Weat coast as Americans settled further west. I think a spring break train ride would be perfect for this.

10. I would like to build an online documentation on WWII survivors in the Philippines. Though most of the survivors are gone I would like to focus on my family. My gradparents had very different backgrounds and their stories of survival is something that is interesting to document. Sadly though, there might not be enough pictures even to document the whole thing. But still, I think I may return to this idea when I go back home.

So there you have it! 10 ideas for documentaries but I’m focusing on 1 and 9. Will post more as I elaborate on the idea.

Tagged: connected, documentary, ITP, nyu

The self image

mdelamerced — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 20:44:00 +0000

This is the second time in my entire academic life that I’ve been fortunate enough to be in a comic book class. The first one was taught by Professor Emil Flores from the Department of English and Comparative Literature from the University of the Philippines which was mostly a writing class and that was almost twenty years ago (gasp!).

I’m not a natural born artist like other people. But through time and peserverance I could actually draw or paint some stuff but nothing that would get me published anytime soon.

I based my self portrait on my Mii profile. The Nintendo Wii and 3DS have built in programs that would allow the user to create a 3D avatar of yourself and (if supported by some games) be included in the action. Microsoft and Sony also released a similar avatar creator for the Xbox and PS3 but sadly it isn’t cute.

The Mii creator actually simplifies the process by letting you select from pre-exisiting templates and start from there. Some people have easy faces to draw on but somehow, my face has proven to be difficult. Difficult in a way that there’s no given set of images that suit me.

After a while I’ve finally settled down on a particular image for myself.

The image on the left is the avatar I created using the 3DS and the one on the right is the image created on the Wii. My sister argues that neither look like me. From here I started sketching myself.

I’m really out of practice at this stage.

I noticed that my glasses the shape of my face and my hair are the most noticeable features of my face. My eyes aren’t that significant unless I take off my glasses, but that would be something else. It’s hard to draw myself when I can’t see without my glasses. But it’s a start.

Tagged: art, comics, ITP, nyu

Spatial LIteracy

mdelamerced — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:31:12 +0000

In the essay required to read this week shows different approaches toward the space between the written text and the spoken language. I believe it’s frightening to think that without the sense of emotion of the spoken word and the information of the written text that human development might have been very different. I’m of course stating the extreme. But it reminded me of when I was stil in film school where we actually used film compared to today’s digital tools. There was a stark contrast in the cinematography course on the requirements to pass the course. It was not “arbitrary” where we would make films and show them for critique and opinions then graded according to our story and performance. But instead we had to follow evyerhing to the letter. We essentially had “to learn the science behind the art”.

This meant learning what ASA settings were, f-stops, footcandles, gels and the like to create a spectacular image to push our stories forward. There was no room for error. It was either you got it right, or everyrhing is black. Cinematography was something specific, precise requiring an entirely new subset of knowledge in order to put image onto celluloid. By acquiring this “cinematographic language” we are able to control the factors that define the image.

Using this analogy, by further examining and defining the spaces around us, I think that it’s possible to show more. Computers and data accelerate this process. By deconstructing the information and putting it forward in text it is possible to further expand the current syntax known by computers. For example if we can create a system where a program can actually detect emotion by using a variety of factors or even display emotion, I think that it would put our understanding of the physical world even further than the text that runs by our screen.

Tagged: ITP, nyu, spatial literacy