這個自動投影微調一直是dream task。終於有人研究成功了!雖然low tech,但夠實用。最重要的是它不用改裝Projector。
MERL (Mitsubishi Electric Research Labs) 和 Standford合作。上次的MERL的Diamond Touch 給 Jeff Han 搶了風頭,今次記得趕快推出!
(image from: engadget.com)
這個可以是Madonna的The beat goes on, 也可以是The Beatles宣佈拆夥時Apple Records 為他們寫的新聞稿上最後一句:
“Spring is here and Leeds play Chelsea tomorrow and Ringo and John and George and Paul are alive and well and full of hope. The world is still spinning and so are we and so are you.
When the spinning stops — that’ll be the time to worry, not before. Until then, the Beatles are alive and well and the beat goes on, the beat goes on.”
這,也可以是Apple Inc為其新推出的iPod Touch的宣傳口號。
當你已經從水路找來iphone, ipod touch讓你氣憤因為你沒有喝到頭啖湯,還未算,iphone正式宣佈減價!8GB: US$499, 即將停產的4GB: US$299!!!! 全部有殺無賠大減US$200! 幸好自己不是美國人!待它來到香港,大家要認真想想要不要等它的3G version才買。
IAC Video Wall Day 2 from shiffman and Vimeo.
上年年尾還有苦腦怎樣在Processing弄個Multi-display的程式來,於是電郵給Daniel Shiffman問他看看有沒有辦法,當時他的回覆是他也搞不好,當然在Java還有其他方法解決。不知是否很多朋友或學生問他這麼一個問題,早於半年前他就Chris Kairalla合作研發這個誰看誰讚的Processing Library出來。
Most Pixels Ever誕生的背景是怎樣我少理了,他就是在最近終於發佈Alpha版本。看它的testing video 多偉大。
MPE主要是利用Time synchronization 的原理運作。類似其他的video synchronization系統,server和client之間會互相傳送message以作記認,以video的內容則轉成array由server發放。Message synchronization的方法其實是networking一個基本法。簡單來說,我們有一群電腦群要作synchronization的資料處理,每個client包括server都會發放一個共同的message到server去,當server接收到所有的message後,即表示所以其他的client準備好接收或已完成處理上一宗資料。另外還得加入Time Delay feedback類似的功能,因為如果電腦的規格有異,運算速度亦不一樣。如果單純messaging system就會出現不統一運算。如果是video synchronization就很嚴重,因為畫面會變得不一致。所以透過time delay feedback可以修正這個錯誤,純一server發送的速度及命令其他client配合運合速度。
你可以到most pixel ever的網站中的how it works知道更多。
You have seen Microsoft’s Surface, amazed with the possibilities, but we still love Jeff Han: Low Cost FTIR. (Surface is also FTIR). That’s why you see my group of student (BScCM, SIG MoCap) research and developing their own Multitouch hardware and interface. Remember, Surface has limited on 52 touch points, we have no limitation. Crazy student Jason make his own tracking blob library and give up other existing library. Wonderful team with Ashley, Don, Cinny working very hard for few overnights on hardware and interface. And brother Jeff and Shek giving a helping hands on their classmate. It is what a media art school should see, not a teacher pushing and helping even working for them. They are a team of independent and active research and developer. What I need to do is just guide and give a little workshop on tracking technique. Good Job Team!
Last week they have already present their work-in-progress in GuLLDY’s open source project seminar. They will then exhibited next Monday in the show case of School of Creative Media, City University of Hong Kong. Let’s looking forward their interface and application, kinda arty or applicable.
At the same time, you will crazy about it HP’s gaint Multitouch wall.
I was teaching in the class “Microcontroller and Embedded system“. In the first 3 lesson, we use LEGO Mindstorm as a warm up. We given the application provided by LEGO and use JAVA with eclipse to write the RCX. (We are still using Mindstorm 2.0, but will use 3.0 with bluetooth one next time I do the class!) The second, or the main focus of this class is Arduino. We use Arduino IDE to write Arduino. Student need to finish the tasks in every class. From analog to digital, complex sensors, multiplexer, midi port, Wifi, etc.
These are two of the students’ assignment:
This is a lighting/LED funiture made by the group of Ashley.
This is a 8bits generator/instrument with mixer by the Jason.
This is a “Audio-Visual” Controller made by Chris.
In the LEGO Mindstorm warm up, students did three group projects:
1) Walk in the lab, can aviod the wall and object once touch the wall and the objects.
2) Aviod all objects and wall before touching it
3) Picking up the specific objects and then back home.