Developed an interactive art installation utilizing Flash AS2, infrared camera tracking, intelligent agents and flocking routines. Working on museum design, installation fabrication and experience marketing as a unique and artistic endeavor to increase public awareness of branding, product placement and marketing.
The team that comprises EAT formed in June 2004 in response to on-going debate around the subject of aesthetics of virtual environments and a localized epidemic of low-grade ennui.
Development for The Consumer Culture Garden began in June 2004, and continued until about a week before the opening at The North Carolina Museum of Art. The latest version is now available for viewing in the NEW/NOW exhibit at the New Britain Museum of American Art.
The process was based on the Eames design process, reflecting an iterative exploration into a wide range of solutions for every aspect of the installation.The growing sophistication of virtual environments has changed the way we communicate, work together, and entertain ourselves. New technologies allow us to tour buildings yet to be built and play games in simulated, but surprisingly realistic, environments. For the purposes of education, entertainment, communication, commerce and novelty, these media technologies can now convincingly simulate the natural world.
Large-scale, Interactive Digital Signage
Moving away from MakingThings/Teleos hardware and going straight Flash 9 w/modified hardware. We include standard button interaction, drag+sweep gesture recognition, multi-touch and ability to scale to almost any window dimension w/o the need for depth or rear-view tracking…
The Interactive Window is a back projected web-cam based system that can essentially turn any glass window (of any size) into a touch screen interface. This is a “non-contact interactive display” designed to be operated by intuitive human hand gesture. Gestures of press, push, scale and rotate are all programmable interactions of this technology. The system has the potential to be multi-touch (two handed gestures simultaneously recognized) and initial attempts at doing this have been successful.
Similar technologies are extremely expensive, have their own closed operating system and require multiple cameras. This platform is based on open source culture and is developed with Adobe Flash 3.0 development application - a widely available and popular development software, making the technology accessible to most (non-programming) designers and content developers. Additionally, this technology is based on projected light, so it easily scaleable and customizable in its size and proportions. Set up cost is extremely inexpensive by comparison, and thus, potentially very popular to the general public.
This updated “Interactive Mirror” presents a lower cost of entry into the interactive space and leverages open-source hardware/software to allow non-programmers and designers to develop digital spaces. We are not so much concerned with pixel-point precision and touch/pressure sensitivity… We are more interested in non-contact, gesture based interactive systems for information displays and exhibits that are easy to implement and open to designers.
CAM|Contemporary Art Museum
Contemporary Art Foundation, Raleigh http://cam.ncsu.edu/
Spring 2007 (ongoing)
Experimental research into alternative, interactive new media installations for education and entertainment. This form of large-scale digital exhibit, introduces designers to sensor data from external sources that utilize dynamic content creating a unique interactive experience that is both larger-than-life size and immersive in the experience. Utilizes Flash AS2, gesture recognition, infrared web camera tracking, Makingthings Teleos system and XML/RSS datasets.
This is experimental project into alternative, interactive new media installations for education and entertainment. “CAM,” no longer a “Contemporary Art Museum,” but keeping the acronym, seeks to get community involvement in artistic & creative events and hopes to infuse creativity into education in downtown Raleigh. It is not our intent with this project to turn designers into engineers. Our intention was based on the principle of having non-technologists work together with technology outside their expertise to produce artifacts that are informative, entertaining and promote an exchange of dialogue over design, technology and society. At the completion of this project typical design students in this research collaboration developed an understanding of technical design integration, a vocabulary of the field and a working knowledge on the application of technology in different disciplines. The initial large-scale, Interactive Mirror Installation, introduced designers to sensor data from external sources and utilized dynamic content creating a unique interactive experience.
Developed a risk management analysis and a marketing strategy plan as part of complete case study for future expansion, financial analysis and image/visibility/positioning concerns. A collaborative effort between the NCSU, College of Management and Exploris Museum.
Recommendations include:
address the “Museum Experience” at consumer level and ‘living memory’ of the user
refine/redefine the museum retail and on-line stores
develop rich media applets to enhance the online web experience
integrate new technology to carry over the museum experience onto the web
leverage social networking to engage the audience and to allow museum attendees to share learning/experience online
expand food court to allow for Global Cafe themed venues
collaborate with similar museums and services to form a joint venture
increase interactive kiosk stations to allow students to share their experiences i.e. link up with a digital pen pal from a sister museum in France/UK
introduce large scale, digital signage tied to live web data and RSS feeds
create augmented spaces and exhibits that allowed museum attendees to be immersed in motion video and high definition audio from around the world
Exploris Museum is an innovative, interactive museum that explores the wonders and connections of our world, and fascinates both grown-ups and kids. The core exhibits demonstrate the connections between the people of the world through culture, global trade, the environment and communications. Through programs for adults and school children, cultural performances each weekend, forums in association with community organizations and traveling exhibits, Exploris endeavors to bring the world to downtown Raleigh. Exploris Museum also features an IMAX theater.
(Update - 9/15/07)
Work is underway on the transformation into Wake County’s new Kids Museum. Created by the merger of Exploris and Playspace, the new kids museum will open on September 29, at the current Exploris location, with brand new experiences and a brand new name.
