Max MSP

Today, I have been trying to reacquaint myself with max msp as a possible software to use for my interactive installation, I will also be looking into flash as well as can't quite remember its capabilities either.

Max MSP is proving to be some what of a memory block, I can't quite remember the functions but I will continue to work through and make a decision next week - also have ordered my proximity sensor to be used on my clock so hopefully that arrives soon.

Proposal Presentation

Had my proposal presentation today, it went well I felt.  I feel like I had some good feedback to give further depth to my design.  I need to integrate all the elements to create a more well rounded experience, where the user becomes immediately immersed in the feeling of insomnia... I like the idea of creating a hallucination within the mirror and also maybe using the heartbeat to correlate directly to the user in the space, so it's an instant connection.

Face Tracking Research

Found this good youtube video that looks into face tracking in a 3d format - it could help me with my mirror design so I can get the face effects correct and tailored to each individual face.  There is an option to download but it seems to be for pc only - may have to use pc to implement... These people make it: Face API link

Hallucinations

There will be hallucinations throughout the space which will be triggered at random by the user - as hallucinations are an uncontrollable element where the user can't for see them happening.  There will be an above camera which is gridded and coded so when the user walks into a undisclosed area they will trigger a projection image - and a sound? Unsure what hallucinations will be yet but will begin to determine soon.

Tick Tick Tick

An insomniac experiences time by the second - they are constantly counting down until they can go to sleep or calculating hours they could potentially sleep.  The clock in the room will be controlled by a sensor - if someone is close and interested in the clock time will appear to slow down and become louder, as you move away from time it will slowly resume to normal.

Insomnia Mirror

So to create an entire experience I want to manipulate a room into an interactive experience of insomnia...
The first way I am going to do this is through a mirror.  I want to capture the image of the users face and then place dark circles under their eyes and take the colour from their lips - the tireder we get, the sicker we look - so the longer the person stays in the mirror - the more intense their insomniac condition becomes.

Project Direction

Ok, so talking to Doug today I have opened up a whole new idea for my experience.

I know that I want to create a haunting experience for the user, a memorable feeling of insomnia and it's traits.

The idea of physically setting up a room in which insomnia has taken over as taken my interest...  The idea of accentuating individual elements that people experience with insomnia - like the time, the hallucinations and the tiredness of self... I will research into each of these elements and do some mockup examples for my proposal...

Program Options

I can't remember everything but I think Max MSP may be the best option for me when it comes to distorting the camera image .. I could use flash but I think Max MSP could be more appropriate for fractioning the reality that's infront of the user.

Could be a cool idea to have the entire mirror as a screen and its like the portal into the insomniac's mind...

Musical Option

This is a short musical excerpt I found on jamendo.com - its a loyalty free music website - this could be the calming music playing when the people walk in - obviously this is just a starting point but I like the curiosity in the tone of the music. It's track number 001 http://www.jamendo.com/en/album/15501

Proposal Ideas

Okay, so beginning to narrow down the ideas and make some kind of concrete decisions...

Firstly, my research question will be something to the effect of "What does insomnia feel like?" or "What is an insomniac experience?"

From my research done in the essay, I discovered an insomniac's experience is the idea of a distorted reality of self and environment - their perception is changed ...

To implement this idea, I want to create an augmented reality - have a scene which is influenced by calming and regular sleep and then place the reality of insomnia over the top forcing the user to interact with it in order to reveal the insomniac experience ...

To do this, I would consider the space to be a bedroom - it would need to be set up so when the user walks in they can relate it directly to the act of sleeping - then you will look through a portal (like a mirror - still need to determine this) and see the insomniac bedroom - it could also take a camera image of the person and distort it and feed it into the room...

I need to do room sketches and experience distortions as image examples - need to also decide on the portal and the specific attributes that will be used in the room

Precedent - Telematic Dreaming

http://www.hgb-leipzig.de/~sermon/dream/

This is a sleep installation that Szilard showed me called "Telematic Dreaming" by Paul Sermon.  The gist of the experience is that there are two separate rooms in which two people are - one room is capturing movements of the person and projecting it to the other room and then projecting back into the first room.  This way the users can see each other and interact remotely on the surface of the bed like a dream.  I like this piece of work and the idea of remotely sending an image of a person - the technology is also quite far along for 1992, but technology's capabilities has come a long way since then - there could definitely be a more creative way to do this projection and experience - but it is definitely a good inspiring precedent.

First Concept

My first sort of concept that is becoming more and more concrete is the idea of an augmented reality - having a nice peaceful space - when you enter you feel calm and peaceful - and then you interact with the space through an object or area and immediately the space alters into an insomniac's space with a broken reality which causes uneasiness and awakened feelings.

This first sketch shows the environments as two separate containers facing each other that you walk through as a continuous experience.  This idea has kind of been adapted to be on top of each other rather than separately.  It's like a mind perception chamber in which the user experiences.

This is the latest sketch, with two kind of concepts that could happen.  The first one is like a room where there is a small area in which you can hear and see the insomniac's reality above, not well implemented but still an initial concept.  The second drawing is a bedroom setting in which a component or part is digitally enhanced so when it is interacted with the reality changes into a distortion - maybe the mirror... am unsure if I want to do it...

Precedent - HitLab

HitLab is a company based in Christchurch, that deal with augmented reality.  I love their work shown in this video of a creature living in the real world from the screen.  Using an object to see the animation implemented into real life is quite cool, my project will be more like manipulating the environment to see through an insomniac's mind - through their perception - unsure about what kind of objects or reality it will be but I like the idea of having a bedroom and having taunting objects...

Essay Writing

Today, I have been looking at many many MANY books that show my research process for my essay - have also looked into augmented reality as a concept through design companies who have done it before and could inspire me to round off my essay and conclude my research for my proposal..