do ho suh ‘home within home’ (installation view) museum of modern and contemporary art, seoul, korea november 12, 2013 – may 11, 2014 courtesy mmca, korea
Closer inspection
Close up of inner house (from Seoul)
Top levels of American house
Close up of house (from the outside, of American house)
Do Ho Suh is a Korean sculpture and installation artist who was born in Korea and subsequently relocated to the United States. His artwork ‘home within home within home within home within home’ is an immersive installation built using silk. It is a full-scale recreation of his past residences – the traditional korean style housing he stayed it during his childhood, which is enveloped by another replica of his first housing in the United States where he later relocated to.
The artwork almost resembles a blueprint, and constitutes of overlaying significance – of Do Ho Suh’s experience leaving his homeland to the US, of his Korean home within his US home, and finally within the walls of the musuem. This multi-layered narrative inspires me as we delve deeper into his experience, not just as an artist but also as a human.
This exercise seeks to explore and observe the reactions of two participants, who were placed in a particular situation (mediated by an object) for a few minutes.
For this exercise, the following items were tested out:
Some of the materials used in experimentation
A rope arranged in a circle, a red rope to encircle participant’s waist, a flexible tube, bubble foam with holes at each corner (not pictured).
Considerations for chosen items:
Rope in circle arrangement: Participants were to stand in the circle, and create their own perceived figment of space from the visual of the rope-border
Red Rope: Tugs and pulls, participants are able to pull on their own extension of rope to affect the other
Flexible Tube: Participants are free to play around with tube
Bubble foam: Emulating the original artwork, participants can however play with bubble foam, and also tug it affecting the other. Mostly served to simply enforce closer proximity
By deliberately pacing the gap between the participants, this object makes participants self-conscious about the space around them, as they start to pay attention to the nearby elements. Also, personal space is intruded upon – by another person without their approval, and they feel uncomfortable with the adjusted space. A new situation is created: and the response recorded varied between users.
In general, there were 3 main responses:
1. Keeping quiet and standing awkwardly
2. Keeping occupied, fiddling with object
3. Chat with each other
After the experiment, participants voiced that the experiment forced them into a situation different from when the object had not been there, hence their different behavioural outcomes. With its presence, the object became a catalyst for setting up a social situation, where the personal space became the shared space. The participants thus share a common situation (of standing stationary at a given spot, facing another person), and a similar understanding of their current position.
When external factors such as friends came into play, a sense of ease was given to the participants – possibly mitigating the outcome of the experiment. Having familiar elements in an odd, new situation helps to allay some anxiety. The space has now expanded to involve the friends. Personally, I feel that at such, too many elements are present which erodes the position to create a personalised space for the two participants.
Actively ‘joining’ the experiment
Friends chat with participants
Looking away and avoiding the other
On the other hand, when friends join the experiment, anxiety tension is still created. Some friends continue chatting, ignoring the discomfort from the objects, whereas some become overly conscious about it.
Friends at ease chatting
Friends standing awkwardly around in silence
However, participants who overcame their anxiety discomfort started to create another space with each other, through initiating polite talk. Below are a picture series of strangers (to the other) participating in the experiment:
making new friends
making new friends 2
Later, we instead gave a pair of participants free will to play around with the object. The lack of restriction allowed the participants to build a space around the object, rather than create an object as an outcome of the experiment. Their actions was now for the object, rather than mediated by the object. Now, the need to interact with the other has failed, failing the idea of creating a common space with the other.
It was interesting to note that some participants mimicked the other subconsciously through their actions.
Here’s my final project for Interactive II which I took last year. It was my first experience with 3-D screen graphics, and playing with simple, basic shapes. Extruding these simple shapes and combining them in different forms may bring about more interesting shapes. I am interested in sharpening my skills, and explore other softwares that deal with such 3-D graphics.
Over the past 2 weeks, we have completed the code for the individual parts of ume. However, here are some concerns:
Flickering Flame Effect
Light output is not bright enough to be seen under normal day light, we are considering of changing it to WS2812 LED. However, we will first be testing our ultra Yellow LED lights first before changing it to WS2812. (Just purchased Yellow LEDs today)
Distance Sensor
The distance sensing using the HC-SR04 works well in small spaces. But when testing the same code and setup in a larger space like the IM lab, it produces sudden, extremely large values making the flame effect jumpy. We will test out the icube distance sensors this week which hopefully produces more stable readings.
Motor Output
A short pause occurs when sensing continuous motion. Will be re-examining the code to resolve it
The following week will see us:
1. integrating the different codes into one code
2. continue building the ball
3. ume to work properly individually
4. attempting to connect 2 umes together
We are in the midst of building the physical components of ume, and have decided on using a pre-made hamster ball.
Reasons for choosing it to house our electronics was of it having slots for wires to extend out, and the sizing is optimal. There are a variety of sizes for hamster-balls, raging from 10-14cm. We will be buying it second-hand off Carousell, getting one with a 11cm diameter for a start.
Other than the hamster ball, we have also considered getting empty, clear see-through Christmas baubles from Spotlight. However, we opted for the hamster ball as the christmas baubles was a little too small to contain our breadboard, even though it looked aesthetically more pleasing that a hamster ball.
I made a little device that helps to tell you what temperature your cup of cuppa is from the colour of the led light strip. Basically, warmer -> reddish undertone, colder (and nearer to room temperature) -> blueish undertone.
However, the temperature sensor took quite some time to sense the change in temperature, hence it might be better to use it to test when your hot water has sufficiently cooled, rather than how hot it is. As waiting for the hot water to cool down has a somewhat similar (ie. longer) timeframe available for the temperature sensor to sense the actual temperature.
Up: Final Prototype
How it was made:
The temperature sensor poked through a tiny hole in the cardboard. Place the cup above this hole.
An example of different colours the LEDs were capable of. Blue (cold), Red (warm)
An Arduino Uno, and Adafruit library was used to make the code.
Google Glass, is an optical head-mounted display designed in the shape of eyeglasses, by Google X (now renamed X).
The Google Glass, when worn, displays information and allows the user to do various simple functions, eg. snap a photo, send messages or images, by activating a voice command or toggling the capacitive touchpad along the right side of the glasses. This information, in the form of images of text, will be overlaid onto a glass prism at the front of the glasses, without obscuring our current vision.
Watch how it works:
Other functions that the Google Glass does:
Remind the wearer of appointments and calendar events.
Alert the wearer to social networking activity or text messages.
Give turn-by-turn directions.
Alert the wearer to travel options like public transportation.
Give updates on local weather and traffic.
Take and share photos and video.
Send messages or activate apps via voice command.
Perform Google searches.
Participate in video chats on Google Plus.
These information are then projected slightly above one’s line of sight;
Its metaphor, “looking into the future” is very suited considering the design of the product. The Google Glass eliminates an external device, eg. a phone or computer, and integrates it into a more convenient, consolidated device. However, I felt that its functions were only rudimentary, and does not warrant the $1,500 price tag.
[Cons] The price tag in question deters the common user, and ironically the product was made for the common man, in lieu of a commonplace/day item such as the handphone. Here, there is a mismatch in product function, with marketing cost of the product. 3 years after its debut, the Google Glass was deemed a failure for the mainstream market.
One particular function to note is that the feedback for the Google Glasses, is only limited to the user – eg the Google Glass is recording a live video, but other users will not realise it. Only users can see it from their projected, inner screens. Non-users may feel intruded upon, but perhaps this was what Google X wanted to achieve – a product that does not feel too much like a foreign product, hence they eliminated this feedback. It does not however bode well for other non-users, who may feel disengaged from the user himself. Another comment on the Google Glass was on its design – it looked too futuristic, and not so commonplace an item for one to use it daily, which ironically it was intended for that function.
Another design ‘fault’ which I disliked was that the projected screen was only situated on a single lens – I felt that if I were to use it, I would squint to focus on the screen – not very ideal, nor intuitive.
[Pros] Despite this, the product seems very intuitive – in navigation, wearing, and its outcome. Simple swipes (up, down, front, back) could be used to toggle the interface, making it easy to learn and manipulate. It’s worn over one’s eyes intuitively like a spectacles, and does not deter actual vision – a plus point. In addition, the function it offers, displaying a map, replying messages hands-free, creates a more ‘human’ experience without the need/feeling for another extended, foreign device.
Nevertheless, the Google Glass does exhibit unlimited potential, and can be used in more specialised fields, for instance telemedicine, teaching, or in conference calls or reporting. The unlimited potential of this Augmented Reality device can be tapped onto, and further adapted to suit our current needs.
levelHead is a spatial memory game by Julian Oliver.
levelHead uses a hand-held solid-plastic cube as its only interface. On-screen, it appears each face of the cube contains a little room, each of which are logically connected by doors.
The visual output is captured via a camera, and later overlaid onto the printed, checked. After which, the entire image (background and computerised overlaid graphics) and then projected onto a different, larger screen.
In one of these rooms is a character. By tilting the cube the player directs this character from room to room in an effort to find the exit.
Some doors lead nowhere and will send the character back to the room they started in, a trick designed to challenge the player’s spatial memory. Which doors belong to which rooms?
There are three cubes (levels) in total, each of which are connected by a single door. Players have the goal of moving the character from room to room, cube to cube in an attempt to find the final exit door of all three cubes. If this door is found the character will appear to leave the cube, walk across the table surface and vanish.. The game then begins again. Source
It is a very interesting idea, that a simple object can be transformed into a device, without the object itself having any technical aspect. Rather, the object, or in this case the device, acts more of a medium on which a screen-based projection is overlaid on. The blend between the physical object and the projection here is seamless, and feels intuitive enough for the user. Personally, it is a very clever and simple idea.
From the documentation video, I noticed that the projections were a little too small for the eye to look at, but in subsequent installations, a larger screen was used to circumvent this limitation. In addition, I found the concept of this art to be very relevant to the medium – the physical space of imaginary and unseen architecture (through a digital world), realised through physical muscle memory and brain memory, reflects how modern day memory formation is created, through artificial computerised means, yet still reliant on ‘traditional’ techniques.
Creation Process
It consists of:
– 5 x 5 x 5 cubes, unique image (marker) on each face
– Computer with LinuxOS
– Sony EyeToy Camera
– Clean White Surface
Softwares used:
Vim
Blender
osgART
OpenSceneGraph
ARToolKit
ARToolKitPlus
osgCal
This was my initial proposal for the final project – as I was inspired by wanting to help children learn how to write, I decided to create a pen which would help to correct their grip, and assist them in practising writing out of letters.
In brief, the pen would vibrate when the user writes out of line, or if incorrect grip has been sensed. The Guiding Pen can also have an extended user database than simply children – stroke patients, or people who may have diminished motor ability in their hands can also utilise it.
However, I decided to work on a different project for the final project instead, and will shelf this idea for now.
Phonotonic is a smart object and an app that changes motion into music, blending the physical and musical world together. By shaking the Phonotonic, corresponding musical beats, melody or sound effect will be blasted through external speakers. Different musical instruments can also be changed, by using an accompanying Phonotonic application
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The Phonotonic sensor can also be removed, and placed onto other surfaces eg. parts of the body. Dance moves, or other motion, could thus activate more unique music playing. One can also opt to combine two or more Phonotonics, for a richer orchestra.
Personal thoughts:
It could be really useful for teaching music to children, or for therapy sessions. It’s compact size, along with its simple design, makes it easy for anyone to use it. However, the free movement required to play music with it has its con – the music played is hard to standardise should the same tune be required to be replayed.
See it in action:
(Duo Mode)
(Dancers with Phonotonics attached to their body parts) – Skip past 1 min
