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Project Natal is a motion-sensing control system for Xbox 360. The main thing that sets this add-on apart is that the system doesn’t use controllers… you are the controller. It uses your full body and motion capture for you and your gear (skateboard, snowboard, etc). It also has voice and facial recognition along with unique ways to communicate and share with friends and family. The demo is quite impressive…

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I am exploring what makes me me. ” You can’t connect the dots looking forward you can only connect them looking back “

At this point I have been spending a lot of time thinking about my past and how it formed me to the person I am today. It all started by being curious, curious on how things looked, worked, and interacted with each other. I can recall the sense of play when I was drawing, playing with lego’s, constructing forts in the summer time, and sport’s. I guess I am still looking for a reason why I chose this path. And what made me happy when I was in that moment. Still in progress…

Things I am interested in exploring deeper right now are:

• motion
• play
• interactive experiences – off the computer while still using the computer for the inner working
• people and their emotions
• hand gestures
• technology
• learning tools
• 3-D space
• making physical parts and personal interaction
• programing
• body language
• hand is just a metaphor

I had a meeting Maryellen from the career services department to see if I can get a better sense on what I am looking for a summer internship. She raised some good hard questions that I need to ask myself. Like do you want to explore companies that could improve my skill set on different applications. This would help make me more marketable in the future which I thought was a good idea. She also asked if I would be interested in woking with sign language, i said no, gut response. I have no interest in that, but I don’t know why. Then she asked if I thought about working with sports professionals in the way of exploring my interests in gesture motion and interaction. I thought this was very interesting and i did not think about that. Which brings a good and really valued point. I need to start thinking about how to apply what I have learned and realize it when looking for a job that fits my interests. She also said to try to sum up what i want to do, like an elevator speech. I definitely need to practice more and start to form my thoughts for interviews. More to come…

The first three project idea’s that I had was to work with a micro controller, bend sensors, and an accelerometer.

• First idea was to create glove or simple hand attachment that the bend sensors word get attached to.
• Second would have the bend sensors intersecting each other in the shape of of a plus sign. The flat shape plus sign would be held together by some sort of stitched fabric.
• Third I was more curious than having an idea on why I want to use the accelerometer, see where it goes

I will be using processing for the output to create the visual. I was thinking of displaying the visual in organic shapes and color. This would help me to try to figure out what happens by using small minimal gestures when you bend the sensors from a 2-D and 3-D surface.

Project 4 – Wireless Gesture Driven

I will be using the device called Hot Hands that was introduced to me from my sim class. The wireless device lets you interact in space while the data is being processed into the computer. My plan is to experiment with hand gestures to gain a sense on how movement is being transformed. I will also be using processing for the output to create the visual. I was thinking of displaying the visual in a more dynamic manor depending on my gestural movements.

Project 5

As designers we explore different ways to keep personal expression a part of our digital life. We continue to express our personality, status, and current emotions. We are working with a new typographic format and experimenting with input devices to human expression, such as gesture, voice, and body motion. What is currently not explored is another large field of typography: the dynamic, flexible, and organic appearance of handwritten typography or calligraphy. I want to explore the possibilities and to change the visual appearance of typography through the use of processing or after effects.

Everyday Exploration

I have always been facinated by the way typography moves me when looking at it. It creates an emotion that compels my senses visually and emotionally. I was thinking what better way to explore that emotion. So I would like to take one letter of the alphabet each day and transform that letterform by using unconventional ways to create a different outcome each time. Focusing on my impulses and creating something by hand. And yes it will be documented.

The Good

I am getting better at presenting in large groups which is giving me confidence the more I do it.  My presentation was at a slow and at an understandable pace which helps me to live in the moment. This is one of the reasons why I wanted to go grad school. To overcome my fear of presenting.

Need To Work On

I realized some things that stands out in my critique. When the question is asked I have do a better job at answering questions on the fly, I have a hard time trying to understand the question at first because of one the setting and two I can not comprehend fast enough. Some thoughts came to mind on how I see the world in visual form. Seeing the questions in written form being ask at that moment might help me understand it a little bit better. But there is not much time to do that so I do not know how this could be realized at this time. Or maybe I have to repeat the question to myself to understand it.

Reflection

It all comes down to the way the first question or response is asked. If the question is asked in a negative manner then more will follow. The same thing goes for positive feedback as well. There is also the way the question is asked. Some people have different ways on how they convey the question, in a direct or passive way. This brings me to try to understand the state of emotion the question is being asked in real time.

I would like to propose more small in class projects that are structured in small groups with a teacher in every group. This would help to utilize all the teachers in class. As well as injecting small scale prototypes on a varies topics we can can explore. Each group would then be in rotation into the next group and learn something different . At the end each group we can combine what we have learned into a bigger project or open dialog. I think this would help more in class discussion by everyone in each group. Just a thought.

2. who would benefit from my system

3. How would they use it

more to come…

The Dark Side of Genius: The life of Alfred Hitchcock – Donald Spoto

The Hand: How its use shapes the brain, language, and human culture – Frank Wilson

A Whole New Mind: Why right-brianers will rule the future – Daniel Pink

Designing Design – Kenya Hara