Ball State University is launching a digital media sculpture, consisting of 4 projection screens, computers, speakers and lights. It will broadcast interactive media that reacts to the amount of traffic on the campus’ 15 wireless zones, April 18 & 19.
The sculpture will contain its own wireless access points, sensing local interactions of viewers using wireless devices. The carillon bells in the Shafer Tower will also be incorporated into the performance via MIDI control. The data captured will be blended together in real time to create a multi-sensory digital experience. The event will be streamed live from 8-11 p.m.
Sound and video will be live-processed by several Apple PowerMac G5 computers using Cycling 74 Max/MSP and Jade as the interactive software. Sound will be created and manipulated by using the application Tassman, by Applied Acoustic Systems, which will be physically modeling (synthesizing) sound as well as using sampled audio streams from the internet.
Video output will be generated via MIDI control using Apple’s Motion software and Jitter. The video imagery will be a combination of 3-D graphical elements that represent the historical samples of wireless internet activity.
You can connect sensors and devices to a MidiTron ($149) using its screw terminals. It simplifies the process of creating sensor and robotics based electronic art projects because it is easily user configurable and provides 20 terminals of digital and analog inputs and outputs in any combination.
How about a giant umbrella on Waterfront Park that visualizes “city cloud” status and acts as a collaborative art project:
- The umbrella handle, resembling a small tree trunk, is created from 1,000 recycled cell phones. They randomly ring with bird and animal songs.
- The umbrella would be 25 feet in diameter and composed of 2,000 LEDs, changing colors depending on node activity in the city cloud.
- Electro Luminesent wire (ElWire) would delineate 32 sectors and “sweep” like a radar
- A java applet, based on the Daisyphone (right), could be downloaded into cellphones or laptops to create a collaborative musical composition as the radar sweeps around the umbrella.
- A picnic table under the umbrella provides shelter.
Eyebeam and Rhizome have more ideas.
