HYPERESSAY – The Cabin Reflects Community

As we learn to be more of sharing and “open source” society, many turn to social media to learn ways to “express ourselves”, our lifestyle, our habits, our norms to an audience. With that being said, personal privacy is even more valuable in an age where privacy is compromised for someone else’s entertainment or even personal gratification. But before anyone gets mistaken, there is nothing wrong with sharing certain parts of ourselves, it is acceptable. But it is acceptable as long as we are aware of the risks factors that come from it.

My project will revolve around a person journeys through travel in a crowded MRT train expressing certain discomforts from being in spaces which are both “tight” and “loose”. By tight meaning – a lot of people, with little space to manoeuvre, and this setting is contrasted with a more spacious space, like a “loose” envionement.

My project will allow people to see my route from school to home, with some portions of it highlighted for example, moving across cabins to avoid too much closeness with passengers, passengers looking into camera, and panning camera to see who is looking into my camera during live broadcasting.. The discontentment from having strangers stand or sit too close to you, stranger prying to look into what you are looking in your phone, and the normalized discomfort of being looked at a certain way in MRT train – I will attempt to capture that through the live broadcasting.

There would be voice overs to describe route on the way home, describe in detail how this would take place, as an added personal touch. I would consider moving to a quieter environment where the bus is “looser” as well so that this would highlight the contrast between different types of spaces experienced by an individual.

In today’s time where we can reveal private moments among friends, family and even strangers in our circle, our personal spaces or privacy is ever more valued in a time where we know, people have a reason to get into your personal business, and even feel entitled it. Whether we are in physical spaces which are tight, like in a crowded train, strangers may have a reason to stand close to you, but at the same time this could give them an opportunity to carry out human behavioural tendencies that is normally discomforting in nature.

An essay I used as reference is “Liquid Space: Science Fiction Film and Television in the Digital Age” (Waldby)where Catherine Waldby’s writings were mentioned. The author quoted

“To engage in sexualized exchange at the screen interface is to suture the body’s capacities for pleasure into the interactive space of the network, to use that network at the medium for pleasuring and being pleasured at a distance.” And “substitutes for the face-to-face negotiation of proximate sexuality and simulates certain aspects of that proximate relationship, involving the projection of a limited kind of telepresence through the simultaneous and interactive production of pleasure in the other’s body”.

The project idea may not have any provocative elements like that abovementioned but it was important to note that telepresence of someone can stimulate certain strong feelings that normally comes through physical presence of someone. And using social media, or even with online communities, it works in a way communities have traditionally thrived – which is to create spaces where shared “normals” exist. I thought this was relevant to the project idea that I am working on where voyeurism in the Singaporean community has taken to new forms – in online community spaces where exchange of photos that stimulate certain emotions to derive certain pleasures, is used as an alternative to real life, thriving social relationships.

An artwork I used as a reference is “Jennicam” where Jennifer Kay Ringley films herself performing her normal everyday routine in the presence of a live camera. What I find quite interesting is her comfort of being watched doing mundane activities. However, once she stopped doing “lifecasting”, she said she was content in living a private life too.

The main morale of this project is to also show how viewers, who are digital voyeurs themselves, would be more aware of their role, understand how this normalized trend of watching people online, may or may not have some effects to the way they view people in general. With the growing trend of voyeruism as seen in TODAY’s article (Ting, n.d.)and the project idea of valuing personal space, it also shows the growing tension between these two factors in a growing digital age we live in now.

Tight spaces, loose spaces on the Internet

Online “tight” or “loose” spaces are some elements that we can learn off of this project idea too. With “looseness” online, viewers taking in my broadcasting are given complete freedom to exercise their right over the Protagonist (me) in making comments, inviting some form of interaction from me, while I am caught in between the “tightness” of the spaces in the MRT cabin. And also, some users find a lot of liberty in exercising power through online means – where they tell people what to do, have complete freedom to watch live broadcasts without appearing creepy and etc.

With that being said, unlike “loose” spaces, when we describe internet spaces which are “tight”, it means limitations imposed on the online user. It may include inaction and passive-aggressiveness of user in being part of the live broadcasting. That affects the Protagonist in such a way, viewers can only go so far in making their intents known to the person behind the live broadcasting. I, as protagonist can choose to ignore their requests in favour of my own.

Excluding the quoted paragraph word count is 684 words

Bibliography

Ting, W. P. (n.d.). The Big Read: Singapore’s Voyeurism Problem – what’s wrong with men, or the world? . Retrieved from https://www.todayonline.com/big-read/big-read-singapores-voyeurism-problem-whats-wrong-men-or-world

Waldby, C. (n.d.). Liquid Space: Science Fiction Film and Television In the Digital Age by Sean Redmond . In S. Redmond.

Pitch Proposal For Final Project

Pitch Proposal

Umbrella cover with dual materials that absorbs water from rain as soon as cover senses material of the umbrella and able to dry it quickly.
Use an electronic eraser that follows the movement of waving hang gestures to wipe off dirt from a whiteboard.
Belt tighter made to control how tight belt bucks is over waist without touching it.

Overview of the project

To create an umbrella cover with dual material that absorbs water from umbrella so that you can store it immediately without anything else getting wet, efficient way with after-use of umbrella
To ease use of magnet-attached duster by adding electronics and sensors to ease movement of duster on whiteboard – easy erasing
???

Few sentences / Image

A wet-umbrella cover that is water absorbent and doesn’t wet the surrounding objects once the umbrella is slot into holder

An automated white board eraser that follows hand gestures to wipe dust off board / An Automated eraser that moves according to user-controlled object attached to it
??

Context / Rationale

Immediate dry after using small umbrella for easy storage in bag. Normally after using it after use from rain, the wetness keeps one from not storing it immediately inside the bag, inconvenient to store in holder because it is not water absorbent, holder usually misplaced or lost ( there are exceptions :P) By adding dual material with inner layer – a material that absorbs water, and outer layer – a material that holds shape of umbrella & strong handgrip.
This reduce effort needed by people, usually educators using the duster to wipe of dirt from board. Reduces effort, reduces unnecessary time wastage, allows user to control direction of duster for erasing

Why is this relevant?

This is relevant in a wet weather where there is little to no space for an umbrella to be dried off immediately, unless you are at a given space for a long period of time. By introducing an umbrella cover, it removes the hassle of finding a space to leave it out in the open, as likelihood of drying takes longer ( esp in wet weather), and also possibility of misplacement, forgetfulness and theft.
Allows another user to wipe off dirt with little effort; simply make wiping hand gestures that allows movement of duster on board. This is relevant in a period where unnecessary time need not be wasted on activities such as erasing the board

Solution to a problem? Design Object? Experience ?

Solution to a problem – reduces time and effort, likelihood of misplacement and theft
Solution to the problem – reduces time and effort in a time-structured setting such as teaching in a classroom, discussion in a board room where whiteboard is used as a medium

Aesthetic/Artistic realm -or- Design realm

Assuming the mini umbrella has 8 flaps, the holder can slot 8 flaps fittingly, dual material with inner and outer layera. Inner material – thin foam, spongy material, any material water absorbentb. Outer Material – rough but thin that can be easily gripped by hands, flexible so it is wrappable before making a lockInteractive Element: ??
An object that moves on its own without

Similar works, critique and differences

Inspiration sources

Interaction (describe how people will interact with it, cover many scenarios):

Metaphor / Principles

Storyboard /Mockup

Implementation

Technologies

a. Inner material – thin foam, spongy material, any material water absorbent

b. Outer Material – rough but thin that can be easily gripped by hands, flexible so it is wrappable before making a lock ( exploe biodegradable material)

Milestones with a weekly breakdown of tasks to accomplish.

Description of the first prototype.

How will you work be shown at the end of the semester?

How will you document your work? mainly the interaction?

Micro Project 6: Private vs Public: Strolling At Sembawang

Micro Project 6: Private vs Public

Do you see a demarcation between private and public? If yes, what are their differences? Here are some options you can consider:

For this project, I filmed as first-person live broadcaster behind the camera. This means you would not be able to see how I look like, except from my way of looking at things. In this clip, it was not planned that we were going to go to a location to do this on its own.

We had plans to go cycling and watch a movie afterwards, but decided to take our usual stroll at the park. Widad used to live near me and we would have walks together at a nearby park. Now that she has relocated to Sembawang, , she took me to her park closest to her home and took me around to introduce me her new neighborhood park.

Since this took place on Friday evening, the timing was not at the most appropriate for people to go online, and i did not inform anyone online about an upcoming broadcasting live. My friend Widad was concerned about being on a live broadcast, because of its public nature, but she was comfortable around it, eventually. I think we usually go for walks together as a way to spend time together, and in this place, Sembawang Beach – she was simply giving me/ us a tour. But I think the difference was the extra third party ( my phone recording us live) took some time for us to get used to. Eventually I thought it turned out okay.

During this recording, I also mentioned viewing this from first-person perspective – but there were limitations to this. During the walk by the sands I saw a couple seated together and kids playing by the waters, but this did not appear in the broadcasting because I wouldn’t want to be questioned. I kept it discreet.

In hindsight, I think residents there didn’t appear to concerned about my camera out. But I did not disrupt their personal – they were a couple seated by the sands watching their kids playing by the water. Just like my friend and I, we were having our own “private moment” so I didn’t feel like I should intrude on the couple’s private moment too.

The abstract moment would be the part where the lights of the lamppost is shown together with the moon during our walk back to Widad’s home. I thought the size and color of those two objects were matching – and it really did when I gave a close up shot. I thought that was beautiful!

In summary, a lot of what I have filmed were not planned out, apart from letting Widad know about this ( and then mentioning this during the live broadcast) because the context here was visiting Widad’s new place and going for our usual walk at her park nearby.

Disclaimer: During the instagram live broadcast, there was no time duration stated to show how long it has been live. It was only until I stopped recording that it recorded below the 20min mark requirement. Therefore, the video is shorter than it is suppose to be, unfortunately.

However, the second video below is a “back-up” video to make up for the extra time needed to hit the minimum duration of 20 minutes. It also featured Widad and I, just in a different environment this time – a place more private ( in a car).

In summary, the biggest learning point for me was that there will always be a clear benchmark between public and private. The part where it was mentioned where the “third-party” comes in shifted the dynamic between my friend and I while we go for our routine walk at a park. Something that was meant to be private, was out in public – which may be discomforting to some. At the same time, it could be pleasant to others. I think those who find it pleasant to watch this – would also appear to behave the same way when watching something as personal like a vlog, or a Jennicam video or any videos of that sort.

Also, even though there weren’t a lot of people watching, I would assume that as first person narrator, behind the camera, I am in control of what users can or cannot see – there fore that gives me a lot of allowance to let them see and make assumptions about the person behind the live broadcaster.

Mid-Term: Non-Linear

Feedback for mid term project
– mapping of aeroplanes with no backdrop of location
-digital evolution of this project – map – using processing
– colour of threads to represent certain type of people, and location most frequented – most frequented
– observe people’s reactions
– make work appear approachable -strings tied make ot look like its about to drop, make a concrete stand so that passerby can see this work and feel confident about making it appear still
– remove instruction board

Research on Music Instruments

Principles

a.) The fusion of interactive instruments played by multiple people allows social harmony – by having multiple people play different piece, it brings sounds together and form harmony in music

b) The combination of analog and digital works fused together helps to engage wider set of participants (case study below)

c) The traditional instruments will lose significance, but sound produce remains significant. This is because what has changed is the level of ease at playing it where technology can minimize effort to play them.

Case studies

This interactive musical instruents is a university project based around four

Reactable has arang of prodcts that allows users to play around with music and use their creativity to make their own music with sounds beats available. The ones above are Reactable devices – Reactable installation and Reactable Mobile Music App.

This installation invites people to play around with objects that produce sounds and control the way it is being play. With these kids playing around objects, it allows them to learn through experience how to be musically attuned without taking formal lesson in understanding music. This interactivity is instant and requires on the spot learning, where you listen to beat and put different sounds together to ake it coherent. Reactable allows user to have a lot of creativity and control over the sounds produced.

The Wheel Quintet by Voices of Umei, composed by by Composer/ Senior Artistic Lecturer Anders Lind, Department of Creative Studies, Umeå University, Sweden.

Analysis / Critiques or the case Studies

First case study: Reactable by Reactable Systems

A baby playing around with Reactable devices

Critic/Analysisl study on The Wheel Quintet by Voices of UMEI

“It has clearly
illustrated the potential of mapping digital sound to everyday
objects to stimulate participatory art and both the composition
and performance of music.”

Max/MSP for visual programming

Understand the creation and use of novel interfaces for music composition and performance enabled by digitalization

A key objective in creating the instrument was to
simplify the interactions with the instrument while maintaining high
artistic ambition

“Firstly, their use as musical instruments could provide a means for
enabling people, regardless of their musical backgrounds, to
master the instruments when they first encountered them, and
hence participate.

Secondly, from an artistic perspective, the
absence of performance tradition rooted in everyday objects (as
opposed to, for example, a guitar or a piano) was deemed likely
to inspire and contribute to the development of new musical
expressions.”

wheels and skateboards – signify motion and speed – motion and tempo

”
most importantly, while highly trained and skilled musicians
are typically required for the performance of musical pieces
with such textures, our observations show that by mapping
digital sound to everyday objects these knowledge barriers can
be overcome”

Altered Ways of doing/Looking at things

Museums or other cultural institutions looking to invite more visitors can introducing everyday objects that is digitized – Wheel Quintet projects is an example to show items that we are often familiar with such as skateboard or a bicycle wheel can bridge the gap between certain groups of people that aren’t as oriented towards artistic or musical field – allows more segments of society to be more fluid in appreciation participatory
Digital immateriality refers to the
purely digital aspects of an artifact, such as a file or software that are
intangible (cannot be touched).

The Next Step / New Trends / Blue Sky Future

Musical instruments traditionally learnt by ear and physical practice will be less popular, replaced by newer technologies that is able to produce a more user friendly interactive piece,

However, the sound output made from musical instruments will be incorporated in music ensemble because its familiarity allows people of non-artistic backgrounds to better appreciate new forms of interactive music. For example, the use of piano where many keys are pressed will be replaced, but the sounds made remain. In addition, the way music instrument is being played, for example with pressing of different keys can inspire other forms of interactive musical piece. Ideally, the sound output can an alternative to piano sounds – as part of new innovation.

A new generation of an art called Participatory Art will be more common in modern-developed places where technology enhances learning and appreciation for music.

MAX/MSP and Arduino was incorporated, which shows how this cost-efficient products can do wonders in adding a new element to Participative Art. This is especially so in large scale cultural places such as museums and concert halls – where sounds produced at a large scale. With added tech element to it, it even enhances the human senses of motions, touch and hearing, which makes the newer forms of art mre captivating!

Museums or other cultural institutions would incorporate interactive musical elements to allow enhanced appreciate that engages people – For eg The Wheel Quintlet – where mix of voices and sounds fused together

Traditional music will replace technological music -created by people

Participatory art invites a new demographic of people – non tradition artists to be more appreciate of the works of art, as music has been a way that brings people together – as in case studies, the participate nature in appreciating an art piece do not discriminate, encourages a more controlled nature that people can have towards a certain musical sound that is widely produced

Device of the week: IoT in Telemedicine

Internet of Things (IoT) is the idea of physical objects being able to communicate online and interact with other objects.

.. defined the Internet of Things as “a world where physical objects are seamlessly integrated into the information network, and where the physical objects can become active participants in business processes.”

From my understanding of Telemedicine, it serves as a very efficient way of providing immediate care to people who may need medical assistance but have difficulty travelling to hospital . It allows certain groups of people, for examplem the elderly the fastest care and provide practical help that they need in case of emergency. It acts like “virtual hospital”. At the same time, with the use of smartphones or tablets, doctors can deliver medical assistance on-the-go by keeping a tab of the patient’s condition online.

One of the most simplest forms of Telemedicine allows a patient to consult doctor online without being physically present – this can be done through use of Webcam or Skype.

A more advanced version is the use wearable technology that tracks the blood pressure or heart rate of an elderly person that is attached to him/her at all time. This allows information to be transferred to medical professions in hospitals in real time. With the datas of rate of blood pressure or heart allows viewers to keep close eye on someone without being physically present with each other.

IMAGES & VIDEOS:

PROS:

Close monitoring of patients even when doctor is away from patient, this is because of the apps ability to keep tracck record of each patient’s condition. This includes,measurement of data vital to patient’s . As such, this allows doctors to keep close eye of any signs that requires immediate medical attention. Allows doctors to make more accurate analysis of patients’ without even needing to visit patients with machines attached to them.

Time and cost efficient – travel costs significantly reduced because both patient can consult doctor through by appearing through communication outlet such as SKYPE with use of WIFI

CONS:

Requires strong WIFI signal to get ease of communication – without this, difficult to secure consultation, aid needed – this would be difficult for isolated areas where wifi signals are weak or non existent or unaffordable

Telemedicine does not affect travelling required to get medicine/ medical assistance/nurse needed to improve patient’s health; remains inconvenient for those difficulty travelling

Breakdown in internet may result in data loss – that is vital for record keeping for patient’s health and doctor’s analysis

SUGGESTIONS FOR ALTERNATE USE

I think this device can be further improved when another one is made, that gives an alarm to neighbouring family members residing in same household but different space. This would not only alert doctor with said data with calling emergency unit, but it also alerts close caretakers. It could be like an immediate alarm bell or a vibration on his/her phone to signal that he/she assist in giving physical aid to patient.

Micro Project 5

The original photo is taken during an overseas trip in KL where my team and I had breakfast at this hostel called “Mingle Hostel”. Taken last year. After jumping from one picture to another, the way we see our own faces comes blurred in a sea of glitches. The blurries of our faces takes away the focus that I have of my own face. In the bigger picture, I am able to spot a lot of shapes resembling mine – simplified into a lot of ovals with blacks surrounding them.