Still Life by Scott Garner is an interactive wall piece that takes traditional still life painting and ads a motion-sensitive frame on a rotating mount.

Years ago I had the idea of a still life painting that wasn’t so still, but could never quite wrap my head around how to build it. After various experiments and explorations, I settled on Unity 3D as the ideal tool to make it happen.

Continue reading.... Still Life [Unity, C, Objects]

Considering that your usual daily environment apparently contains somewhere between 5k – 10k objects (ref), Configuration Space by Sam Kronick should provide a nice breakout zone. Sam refers to it as “A minimalist tool for re-imaging/re-imagining familiar spaces”, the app generates an instant immersive meditative zone in any environment.

Continue reading.... Configuration Space [iPad]

Karl D.D. Willis, Ivan Poupyrev, Scott E. Hudson and Moshe Mahler have just released details of their latest project at Disney Research, a novel interactive system that allows multiple people to play and work together using a custom handheld device. The device combines handheld projector, IR camera and a ranging sensor. The project is a step forward from MotionBeam, first project by members of the team developed with Disney and  Computational Design Lab at Carnegie Mellon University.

The system is immediate and simple: users simply project onto a surface and their projection becomes aware and responsive to other projections nearby. Interaction can range from projector-based games, such as boxing with projected characters, to everyday tasks such as exchanging contact information by ‘dragging and dropping’ onto another user’s projection.

The system consists of a hybrid mobile projector that outputs both visible and invisible projections at the same time. The invisible projection contains tracking data that can be recognised by the device camera, allowing accurate location tracking of multiple projections and lightweight communication between devices. The games range from boxing match to task management and file exchange. See video for details.

Continue reading.... SideBySide [c++, Mobile, Mac, Games]

The MotionBeam is a project by Disney Research that explores the use of handheld projectors to interact and control projected characters. Similarly to the project by AirCord ‘Mobile Runner’ the project explores physical movement of the projection device, much like a motion controller, how it may be used to guide and interact with the virtual/projected characters and interact with physical environment.

Our character and racing game applications show how MotionBeam can be applied and used with mobile games. It can also be utilized for augmented reality interaction, by linking projected content to physical objects in the environment. We envision MotionBeam as a key component in a new ‘game projector’ platform where the real world becomes a playground and users interact directly with each other and the environment.

The prototype shown is implemented using an iPod Touch 2G, a Microvision ShowWX laser projector, and a microcontroller-sensor unit. The attached sensors include a 9DOF accelerometer/gyroscope/magnetometer board, an ultrasonic distance sensor (MaxSonar), and an infrared receiver. Applications run in real-time on the device and are written in a combination of C++, OpenGL, and Objective-C.

The team will present a full paper on the MotionBeam project at CHI 2011: ‘Non-Flat Displays’ session, Tuesday 10th, 11am. You can download the paper here (pdf).

Project Page

The MotionBeam project is being developed at Disney Research Pittsburgh and the Computational Design Lab,Carnegie Mellon University by Karl D.D. Willis, Ivan Poupyrev and Takaaki Shiratori.

Troblion is an autonomous spherical robot that rolls in an oval partially irrigated sandbox. Following very simple programmed rules the sphere creates a variety of different motion characteristics that can be interpreted as emotions. While it is rolling, it builds a layer of hardened sand on its outer surface giving ability to Troblion to change its appearance as the new skin dries and falls off.

Troblion is the graduation project of Stefan Schwabe at Burg Giebichenstein, University of Art and Design Halle, Germany.

Its naked artificial skin gets hidden in a natural structure. But the more its layer is growing, the heavier it gets. Finally as Troblion is not able to move any more, it needs to shell the sand off by deforming its silicon skin. Not till then it is able to move again. The fragments which remain from the sand layer are leftover pieces of gathered dust which indicate Troblion’s existence in space…

“In my theory I discussed what makes artificial and inanimate objects appear to have a soul. I looked at the fundamental definitions of what we feel being natural or artificial, what is life, and how we perceive things that retain some aspects of life in them, and eventually, how these features could lead to new media design, through materiality or behavior, that creates richer objects we interact and interface with in everyday life”

Troblion uses arduino nano and 3 dc motors and an accelerometer.

stschwabe.com

Latest is the series of sound apps from Henry Chu is SoundGyro, a sound toy that uses iPhone 4′s gyroscope to alter pitch, octave or change the key. The app is still in development and Henry is still working on developing some advanced features. We asked Henry about SoundGyro, here is some info + inspiration behind the app.

Once iPhone4 was released, I wanted to try on the gyroscope as it gives more accurate position/orientation information than the accelerometer. I had the idea to create a theremin like instrument that translate the hand position to musical notes, I did it on iPhone and Wiimote before, but the result didnt impress me, mostly because I cannot combine 2 axis of movement together, the reading will go very unstable. Another reason is that the sensor is not sensitive enough to capture small gesture, which is a big hurdle in creating expressive music, if I can only play long notes slowly.

Using gyroscope I can combine 3 axis of movement together without messing up all of them. Moreover, the device can now detect the rotation rate, it adds another dimension of control. The iPad and 3Gs has a digital compass which behave in a similar way, but the sensor just got better in iPhone4.

Using SoundGyro is simple, tap anywhere on the screen to start the sound, at this moment, there is no difference at where you tap, but I might add some more control for advance playing. Tilting the device upward and download to change the pitch. To move to the upper or lower octave, rotate the device, you can use up to +/- 3 octave. The rolling controls the volume.

The default sound is A, in the setup page you can change the key. You can switch on/off the note snapping also that allow you to play discreet notes or slide between notes.

Wonderfully, SoundGyro as you see in the video below was only one days(!) work. Henry is keen to do more so keep an eye on his vimeo account for new videos + demos.

In the meantime, Sound Yeah bounced from the AppStore approval process for using a private API which Henry forgot to remove. Nevertheless, it is back in the approval queue and (hopefully) should be available in the next few days.

a retro rhythm racing beat ‘em up action and one of our favourite iPhone games ever is making it’s way to Nintendo Wii. If you haven’t played it before, Lilt Line is a wonderful example of when hardware and software play together in harmony. The sync between the sound, touch and tilt, is very unique to the platform and there are very few (if any) games like it.  It’s port to the Wii does make sense, considering WiiMote and must similar interface but somewhat different context. Of course, it would be great to see LiltLine on the iPad too but Gordon, the name behind the game, is slightly sceptical of iPad’s size and tilt UI mechanics.

The Nintendo Wii version of Lilt Line is being published by Gaijin Games. The release date is not known yet although nintendolife.com had a chance to have a play with the game and you can read the preview here.

Previously: lilt line [iPhone, Games]

Get the iPhone version here (AppStore).

VernX is an action puzzle game built using a custom game engine that allows you to interact with up to two hundred and twenty moving objects on screen at any given time. The goal of the game is to guide 50 particles from start to finish while avoiding obstacles. There are many interactive elements to tinker with, they are progressively revealed as you play through the game.

Features:
- Accelerometer-based control system
- 45 different levels (more coming soon)
- 2 modes (Challenge mode & Sandbox mode)
- 4 game skins
- Various gameplay elements, levels are varied.

Platform: iPhone
Version: 1.0
Cost: $0.99
Developer: Vladimir Vernacki

Not particularly well animated nor programmed, Mobile Runner is more of a proof of concept than anything else. What it also shows that you don’t have to develop an awesome app / interface to engage. It is the imagination that engages and the interface is just the result. Mobile Runner is a simple animated man that reacts to iPhone accelerometer with a simple tap to jump button. On it’s own, the app doesn’t do much, it is what happens when Mobile Runner engages with physical environment thanks to mobile Optoma pico projector. Mobile Runner jumps over trashcans, up the stairs, over the walls, all of this very reminiscent of child like play with Transformers fighting each other or toy cars smashing against one another. Call it augmented reality or just new reality that inherits characteristics of real life. App or no app, child play or not, it’s sure fun.

Made with openFrameworks by aircord.co.jp

Fozwot is a beautiful tilt and swerve iPhone game adventure through stunningly crafted gothic world created by Lofopi games studio.

You play Fozwot, a punky caterpillar like creature. As you tilt your iPhone or iPod touch, he dynamically twists, turns, stretches and spins around. Your task is to collect and protect eggs or capture flying insects in your tilt generated web. In another twist to gameplay, your Queen will be following right behind you on some levels. You’ll need to protect and guide her through safely too.

Beautiful, painterly art style with 25 quirky and increasingly challenging levels should keep you wondering through the wonderful world of weird and wacky creatures. Fozwot is simple but absolutely wonderfully drawn game. In case you don’t enjoy the gameplay, just the illustrations should have you gazing at your iPhone for good few hours.

To see more screens and find out more about the game, see lofopi.com

Platform: iPhone
Version: 1.0
Cost: $2.99
Developer: lofopi