Creative Technologies Research

Augmented Reality on a mobile phone

2008-02-10T13:52:00.000-08:00

This video demonstrates software running on a mobile phone to generate a virtual image in the position and rotation of the marker. An application for this software could be to track famous landmarks (check out the landmark recognition aspect of the software called Photosynth in one of my earlier posts), and information about the landmark could be viewed on the mobile phone's screen.

Logitech Orbit Cam

2008-02-10T13:44:00.000-08:00

This looks like quite a fun toy to use for video messaging, I'm very impressed by the facial features recognition and it's ability to track the orientation of a person's face:

Photosynth demonstration

2008-02-02T03:23:00.000-08:00

Automatic graffiti robot

2008-02-02T03:09:00.000-08:00

Augmented reality

2008-01-30T02:33:00.000-08:00

Click image to navigate to a website about see-through video technology

Film projection

2008-01-26T07:20:00.000-08:00

In this music video called 'Dead Leaves on the Dirty Ground" by The White Stripes, images are projected onto the walls and objects in the house. As far as I am aware the images are projected onto film, a technique used by Michel Gondry, who directed the video.

Website

2008-01-26T05:55:00.000-08:00

The website documenting the 360° Light Field Display can be found at:

http://gl.ict.usc.edu/Research/3DDisplay/

360° Projection

2008-01-26T05:42:00.000-08:00

In researching projection and 3D projection techniques, I came across a video on youtube of a prototype for an interactive 360° Light Field Display. It looks similar to the projections used in Star Wars movies and has been developed by the USC Institute for Creative Technologies. It even has an interactive element whereby the user can tilt and rotate the projected 3d image in real-time. Check it out:

Shirt Loop effect (cushion loop??)

2008-01-24T13:03:00.001-08:00

Inspired by the Shirt Loop video on youtube by Troika Ranch, I set about creating the video effect myself. I used Max/MSP/Jitter made by Cycling 74' to create the effect, which I have used throughout my undergraduate degree. After visualising the basics of how the code would look, I created it in Max. It took approximately 2 hours to create and tweak the code until the effect looked as close to the effect used by Troika Ranch as I could get. I have posted the video demo of the effect I created on youtube for all to see:

VR Head Tracking

2008-01-24T12:58:00.001-08:00

Johnny Lee has posted the following video on youtube of software he designed which uses a Nintendo Wii controller as a head tracking sensor. It looks amazing when you see it in action, so I thought I would share the video on my blog.

Performance Technologies research

2008-01-23T15:53:00.000-08:00

For my Performance Technologies module, I have been researching existing music/art/dance performances which use technology in interesting ways. Most of my research so far, has been conducted on youtube.com. The video which has interested me the most was a video called 'Shirt Loop' by the Troika Dance group. It has taken a very simple video effect and applied it to an action we perform everyday - taking off our t-shirt. The video is embedded below along with the URL if the video doesn't load:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=H5aoYI3N48w

Enjoy :)

Welcome! (12/10/2007)

2007-10-12T07:14:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my blog, this is the first of many posts to come which are intended to show some of my work and a few of the things going on at the Institute Of Creative Technologies (IOCT), at De Montfort University in Leicester.

A brief description of the IOCT, taken from their Blog:

'The Institute Of Creative Technologies (IOCT) undertakes research work in emerging areas at the intersection of e-Science, the Digital Arts, and the Humanities. It comprises an interdisciplinary laboratory at the heart of an infrastructure grid connecting significant research centres across the university. This network also extends to other universities and to local, national and international entities in the creative industries. The IOCT houses a number of key projects, all of which cross the traditional disciplines. It has a cohort of research students and will soon offer its own Masters programme. Its research work also informs teaching developments, and its publications are lodged in a digital archive.'

The Masters programme the description is referring to is the Creative Technologies MA/MSc which I am currently studying. It's the first programme in the UK to cover three seperate faculties - Humanities, Art & Design and Computer Science & Engineering. The course has been carefully designed to support students in developing and strengthening their individual creative technologies practice within the context of the increasingly multi/inter/trans disciplinary environments and collaborative digital world. By working in a collaborate and creative environment, it gives us the opportunity to work with other students who have skills and experience in other subjects areas that could enhance our work as a research team.

The research projects I will be partaking in this year will be a mixture of individual and collaborative work which other students and staff involved with the IOCT. My main areas of focus are:

Interactive Media
Creative Digital Media Design
Fused Media
Performance Technologies
Assistive Technology and Universal Access (Major Project)

In future posts, I will be outlining my research progress and including photographs and videos where applicable and I welcome any feedback.

'Great discoveries and improvements invariably involve the cooperation of many minds. I may be given credit for having blazed the trail, but when I look at the subsequent developments I feel the credit is due to others rather than myself.’

— Alexander Graham Bell