Project Website

Dynamic Theatre Team Website:

http://www.rebecca-e-spitzer.com/dynamicrehearsal/index.html

Dynamic Rehearsal Video

I have made a video for our project 'Dynamic Rehearsal,' with FinalCut Pro.

I really hoped I had much more time making the video, since while I needed so many clips and images of our most recently updatedproject to create the video, it was so hard to take new clips and new images everytime we update the project. So it ended up with some old version images and clips.

I chose very funny + funky music to go with the theme of 'Dynamic' :-)

I also used the logo that we used in the project to give similarity.



Some parts of the video had to have many texts since it is made for informative purposes.



I could only be in the video one time since I was always filming, but enjoyed taking video of other people :-D

Revised Revised Revised

We have been working so hard last few days, revising and updating the project!
I really wish we had more time actually working on the project.



Logo, title, and background images are newly designed,



Whole layout of working screen is also newly designed (ended up with one timeline at the top and notes at the bottom of the video),


Grey bar with some specific information of the rehearsal appear on the bottom,



Sorting menu appears when timeline is tabbed,



Rehearsals and information from different dates are available on the side as small icons,



Only recent notes are available to look on different window on the other side,


Notes that are already read changes its color to white, and they also appear on separate window on the side when tabbed.

So many things have changed and updated since our first prototype. Feel great about it! :-)

Rehearsal Movie

It was very lucky that I could film actual theatre rehearsal that Rebecca was directing :-)
We could also get all the notes from different groups of the show.




I needed to edit the movie alittle for the Surface, but was glad that it looked good.
Not sure about this, but it seems like Surface only takes 'wmv' movie file?
If it does, it really is a shame.

Milestone 2

Blend, blend, blend!
I had hard time coding for Microsoft Surface, but Blend saved me :-)
Recent Note page came out pretty well with Blend.




After seeing everything come together, (while we spent a lot of time) we all thought that the interface looked very cluttered and not very intuitive. Our design also does not leverage the Microsoft Surface's collaborative qualities very well.

So for the next milestone, lots of things need to be implemented.
Also as our Logipen arrived, it should be worked together too.

Assignment 3: Reflections on Visions of Invisible Computing

Assignment 3: Reflections on Visions of Invisible Computing


· “The Computer for the 21st Century” by Mark Weiser
Weiser writes about unavoidable increase and effectiveness of “Ubiquitous Computing/Embodies Virtuality.” He explains that the most profound technologies are those that disappear and weave themselves into the everyday life. Weiser’s main point is”…to conceive a new way of thinking about computers, one that takes into account the human world and allows the computers themselves to vanish into the background.” He first explains the term “Ubiquitous Computing” (computers that are invisible in fact as well as in metaphor) and then presents few examples that his colleagues and himself created at their workplace (such as tabs, pads, boards). The access to computational services is delivered through a number of different devices, the design and location of which would be tailored to support various tasks. Weiser also explains the three important parts of ubiquitous computing as “cheap, low-power computers that include equally convenient displays, software for ubiquitous application, and a network that ties them all together.” He then points out the problems of current days’ computer operating systems and window-based display software to emphasize his opinion about how ubiquitous computing is effective and enrich our lives.


· “Tangible Bits: Towards Seamless Interface between People, Bits and Atoms” by Hiroshi Ishii and Brygg Ullmer
Ishii and Ullmer write that their paper is to propose “…a new view of interface and raise a set of new research questions to go beyond GUI.” They believe Tangible User Interfaces (focusing on the integration of computational augmentations into the physical environment) will establish the concept of Weiser’s Ubiquitous Computing, while the locus of computation is now shifting from the desktop to two major directions (on our skin/body and into the physical environments). Their goals of “Tangible Bits” concept (attempt to bridge the gap between cyberspace and the physical environment by making digital information tangible) are introduced with the ideas of Interactive Surfaces, Coupling of Bits and Atoms, and Ambient Media. Ishii and Ullmer introduces few ubiquitous computing and augmented reality examples (such as Marble Answering Machine or Live Wire) and explain how they influenced their research and projects. Then they present their metaDESK, Tangible Geospace, ambientROOM, and transBOARD projects to express the metaphor of light, shadow, and optics in general to be particularly compelling for interfaces spanning virtual and physical space.


· Compare and Contrast / Relate to our Dynamic Rehearsal
Ishii and Ullmer’s ideas can be seen as stimulated by Weiser’s vision, however with important differences. Weiser and his colleagues’ Tab, Pad, or Board holds ideas that are characterized by exporting GUI-style interaction metaphor to different sizes of computer terminals placed in the physical environment. However Ishii and Ullmer’s interests focus on looking through physical devices of the last few millennia and inventing ways to apply those elements of tangible media augmented by digital technology. So they are not centralizing on making computers ubiquitous, but more on making given physical objects, surfaces and spaces into computational mediation.

Dynamic Rehearsal tries to achieve better communication between different groups within the theatrical production members. With this system, a theatrical production team gains the ability to record, analyze, and review their progress without having to alter their usual rehearsal routine. Information in the form of video, audio, location, and text is put together to provide a comprehensive record of the rehearsal process. The system will aid in the review process and facilitate a more collaborative approach.

iphone app iStethoscope pro

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVDLS6DAT98

Fun!!! '▽'

P1: Conceptual Design

Our system is created for the general use of a theatrical production team: director, cast, and crew. A typical user has extensive experience in theatre, but not with computers. With the assistance of our system, they will be able to enjoy the benefits of computer-assisted analysis, review, and documentation of rehearsals without a basis of knowledge about computers or programming.

The system will record the rehearsal process with video, audio, location information, and text. Video and audio will be provided by an installed video camera, location information will be provided by RFID tags worn by actors, and text will be automatically sourced from notes being taken by the director, stage manager, and other members of the production staff. With computerized pens, we will be able to digitally record the notes being taken by these users. All interactions take place within the theater space.


The interaction with our system is primarily with the Microsoft Surface. The video camera will be linked to the Surface, automatically recording when the Surface application is activated in Rehearsal mode. Actors only need to wear their RFID tags when they are onstage (to record at what points they enter and exit the stage space) and production staff members only need to write with computerized pens, which electronically record, convert and transfer their notes to the Surface. All other interaction is with the Surface.

At any point, any user can log into the Microsoft Surface application tailored to their production, which will store and sort the data recorded during rehearsals. Upon logging in, a user is provided with a tailored selection of recent rehearsals. For the most common user, an actor in the production, the Surface application would provide a number of workspaces: an area within which video and notes from the most recent rehearsal could be reviewed, an area within which the most recent unread notes for the actor could be reviewed, and thumbnails with which older rehearsals and notes could be accessed. With these workspaces, a user is able to both review their performance and quickly see which areas of the production need further work.

To begin a user's interaction with the Surface, they only need to place their hand on the surface to bring up their workspaces: recent rehearsal, recent notes, and thumbnails. Once these spaces are open, they can be moved around the surface and resized as necessary. A user can replay video, shuffle through notes, mark notes as read, and compare rehearsals to review their progress. Within the main workspace, there are three main elements. At the top of the space is a global timeline of the entire rehearsal. The times in which the given actor was onstage are noted on the timeline with a color-coded bar, as are all notes for the actor. On the left side space is the video display and an expanded timeline, showing a more specific portion of the rehearsal. The section highlighted in the expanded timeline is noted with brackets; identical brackets also appear on the global timeline. The expanded timeline can be pushed to the left or right to move to a different point in the video. On the right side of the screen is a list of notes relevant to the highlighted portion of the rehearsal and to the current user. Each note is displayed with markers to show what type of note it is and which user it pertains to. Notes can be marked as read or unread, and notes that the user is finished with can be discarded. The full list of notes is also scrollable at the top and bottom. Notes in the panel are also sortable by character or type by selecting the tabs to the right side of the panel. This notes panel can be collapsed into the workspace if the user is solely interested in the video.

The system can also be user collaboratively, with multiple users. To join the review process, a second users needs only to place their hand on the surface, which will add their profiles to existing workspaces. The most recent shared rehearsal will occupy the recent rehearsal space, and any recent unread notes targeted to both users will appear in the recent notes space. Together, multiple users can watch video, discuss notes, and review their progress. In expanded rehearsal panels, information about all active users are displayed: on the global and expanded timelines, the appearances of all users are denoted with extra bars and in the notes panel, only notes pertinent to all active users are displayed. Information about a certain actor can be deactivated by selecting the appropriate tabs to the right side of the notes panel. Multiple users may choose to open more than one expanded rehearsal workspace to compare videos.

With this system, a theatrical production team gains the ability to record, analyze, and review their progress without having to alter their usual rehearsal routine. Information in the form of video, audio, location, and text is put together to provide a comprehensive record of the rehearsal process. The system will aid in the review process and facilitate a more collaborative approach.

Roll-Up Phones

Durable Roll-Up Mobile Phones Coming to Market

Flexible OLED Display
Display Nowadays, traditional paperback dictionaries are seemingly becoming obsolete as more consumers are turning to electronic dictionaries for their portability as well as versatility. With the emergence of next-generation flexible displays, experts predict that heavy notebook computers may also become outdated in the near future.
Recently, a Korean firm unveiled an ultra-thin flat panel that allows users to access information rolled up in e-papers. Developed by Samsung Mobile Display, the full-color flexible organic light emitting diode (OLED) panel is thin, light, and can be rolled up like paper. The new display is 0.02mm thick, which is 1/10 of thickness of human hair, and weighs 0.29g, which is roughly 1/3 of weight of a bank note. Their new product is reported to be the slimmest and the lightest phone in the world as it incorporates a durable display panel. Even when dropped or hammered, the ultra thin display panel does not break and has the ability to show vivid color range.

Rolled-Up Electronic Appliances

How is it possible that the OLED enhances durability and aesthetic appeal of high-end gadgets? Experts claim that the answer lies in the special plastic component that is used instead of glass plates. The liquid crystal display (LCD) is widely used in a variety of electronic appliances like mobile phones, MP3 players, televisions, washers, and more. Despite its wide use, LCD has its drawbacks. The liquid crystal of LCDs cannot produce light on its own, and thus must depend on backlights. In addition, the surface of LCD panel is made up of glass plate, and is thus subject to frequent damage. In order to make up for such shortcomings, Samsung Mobile Display chose to manufacture next generation flat panels by switching the glass plate into plastic.

Use of Plastic In Lieu of Glass

The process of making LCDs involves converting the silicon into a semiconductor, which produces a great amount of heat at 500 degrees Celsius. Naturally, it makes it difficult for plastic to survive the extremely high temperature. But with the use of plastic instead of glass plates, next-generation flat screens can be bent or rolled up like a scroll. Given these rewards, many leading flat panel suppliers have invested time and their tireless efforts to produce flexible OLED panels. Applying the innovative technology, those produced by the Korean firm do not come with glass plates as frames. Before the recent technology was introduced, flat panel suppliers had to undergo heating the displays at low temperatures to make sure the glue did not melt. Without the plates, it is unnecessary to go through such complicated processes anymore; the new technology allows suppliers to produce wearable displays including watch-like mobile phones, electronic books and passports at lower costs.
The OLED offers clearer images and consumes less power than conventional panels, and experts predict flexible roll-up displays will emerge within a year or two. Although it remains unclear what kinds of products will be manufactured using the innovative technology, Korea is certain to play a leading role in the next-generation display industry.

Project Proposal

CS 349 TUI Project Proposal

Team Members: Donna Yee, Ji-won Woo, Natasha Kellaway, Rebecca Spitzer

Problem: Shared Group Experience and Brainstorming

Theater rehearsal is an event that is pivotal to the production of a show. How can we make this process more efficient? How can we give groups of actors and production members with different purposes, interests, aesthetics, and skill levels a way to give feedback on rehearsals? How can we enrich the creative process of a developing a performance? Our goal is to enrich and to enable more efficient theatrical performance rehearsals.

The users of our interface are members of different groups that come together to build a theatrical performance: directors, actors, stage managers, costume designers, etc. The user group will not have to be tech savvy, because the application will be very accessible. It will utilize only the skills associated with touch applications (tapping, dragging, etc) and with note-taking. Regardless of age, users could be anyone in the performance arts; at its core, the TUI will take advantage of actions that are already practiced.

The interface will be comprised of four elements. The first is a video camera, installed in the space or placed in an audience seat to record the rehearsal. The second is a set of location RFID tags for the actors, recording the entrances and exits on the stage during rehearsal. The third is a set of tablets or computerized pens to be used by members of the team who are watching the rehearsal, recording notes, data, critiques, etc. The fourth is a Microsoft Surface, which will analyze the video and notes and then be used to view an annotated record of the rehearsal.

At the recording stage, the interface is simplistic for all users. They will not need to perform different actions than they normally would during a rehearsal. The video camera will record the performance. A wireless note-taking pen or tablet can be used by people watching the performance (e.g. the director) and will send notes to the Surface. The notes and video will be linked via the time that the note was taken, so that users can review the notes along with the video.

At the reviewing stage, users who wish to review video and notes will need to interact with the Surface. On the Surface, the video of the rehearsal will be displayed on a timeline, with notes and comments differentiated by color and shape. Users will be able to view rehearsals from different dates, view scene clips sorted by actor (using information provided by RFID tags), read comments directed towards a specific actor or from a specific person, and leave notes for themselves as to things to do or work on. The Surface will also offer information about which scenes have the most notes, analyzing which scenes need the most or least work.

Overall, the potentially difficult task of capturing, annotating, and analyzing the rehearsal process will be made more intuitive by an application that leverages the combination of actions required by a rehearsal (performance in a stage space and note taking) and gestural interfaces. Members of the theatrical performance team will be able to gain informative data about their rehearsal and progress without doing any extra work. Furthermore, a tangible approach involving ubiquitous computing will allow a more collaborative approach to reviewing rehearsals and foster discussion about the production, leading to a more enriching and efficient rehearsal process.

Related Work:

ButterflyNet by Klemmer: the proposed solution is different from ButterflyNet in that it will combine video recording and data (notes and comments) from different users, meaning it is a group sharing tool. It enables the users to each review the rehearsal, include comments, or read other’s critiques whenever they want.

D.Tools by Klemmer: Analyzing video taped file and adding information to the segments are similar however our solution will have more compacted data from different people.

Ferret: RFID Localization for Pervasive Multimedia. The Ferret project deals with specifying locations for RFID tagged objects. We may not be doing RFID localization with the precision of Ferret, but if we decide to use RFID tags to find locations of actors, as opposed to just their presence, the Ferret research will be very relevant.

Principles of Smart Home Control by Davidoff, Lee, Yiu, Zimmerman, and Dey. This paper discusses the problems with implementing ubiquitous computing in a multi-user environment; in the home, it is important to provide users with a flexible, adaptable environment that works for every member of the family. In the theater, it is also important to implement a flexible system that can be utilized by multiple users.

Assignment#2: Conceptual Frameworks

Ji-won Woo
CS349
Assignment 2: Conceptual Frameworks

Framework #1: Reality-Based Interaction

I/O Brush is a designing and developing tool that allows artists to create visual art project with elements obtained directly from their personal objects and immediate environment. It is constructed with a regular physical wooden paintbrush (with video camera, lights and touch sensors), and drawing canvas (where artist can draw with ‘ink’ they picked up from their environment).

RBI Themes

The physical wooden paintbrush implies and invites people to ‘pick up and paint’ on the white canvas (real time monitor window infrared vision based touch panel over a back projection screen). The force sensors embedded at the bottom of the brush enables artists to vary the volume of ink flow. The more pressure artist apply, the thicker and fatter the ink flows on the canvas. MEMS-based inclinometer inside the brush also let artists to paint the ‘ink’ in any direction or with curves. Artists also can use their hands and fingers, taking a little paint off here and there, smudging the corner of a stroke. These traits are based on Naïve Physics (NP) and Body Awareness and Skills (BAS).

With the brush, artists simply start to look around (be aware of) and interact with the environment to find appropriate/good ‘ink’ for their painting. Artists move around and they even interact with people around them to talk about their process or use their body or face as inks. Such traits are based on Environment Awareness and Skills (EAS) and Social Awareness and Skills (SAS).

Tradeoffs

While only few artists can express and visualize what they want as realistic art forms, I/O Brush captures any objects, person/people or video clip as ‘inks’ in extremely short amount of time and in a very realistic and precise way. It also can keep a record of ‘inks’ that the artist collected and they can be used anytime in an exactly the same form endlessly. In this sense, the designer made trade off Accessibility, Efficiency, and Practicality over reality.

The ‘inks’ can be expressed in various forms by simply change the pressure. Artists also can ‘monitor/preview’ their ‘inks’ before actually capture and use it. This way certain amount of time and energy can be saved as artists do not need to erase and go back to find something they really want. Also using I/O Brush, going back a step and erase particular parts or a whole piece are possible by simply touching a button on a screen canvas. Here, one can see the designers have favored Expressive power and Ergonomics over reality.

While in the real life artists can choose different sizes of brush and sizes of canvas, they are limited in the I/O Brush use. The users always have to use the brush that is attached and only can paint on the canvases that are given. Also it seems hard or almost impossible for the users to paint different areas at the same time. It is also impossible to combine different art mediums/materials on the painting one makes with the I/O Brush. Also the artist cannot bring/carry the artwork around to share. In this sense, they are the tradeoffs of reality over versatility and expressive power.

Framework #2: Hornecker&Buur

I/O Brush is a designing and developing tool that allows artists to create visual art with elements extracted directly from their personal object and immediate environment. There is physical paintbrush (contains video camera, lights, and touch sensors) that can pick up colors, texture/patterns, and movements of a brushed surface as ‘inks’. On the canvas that is given, artists can draw with ‘inks’ they collected.

I/O Brush was originally conceived and developed as a creative learning tool for children. The first prototype was installed in two kindergarten classrooms. Children quickly understood the concept of taking elements from real world and making paintings with them. With the observations from this study, I/O Brush then installed at the Ars Electronica Center in Austria with more developed and robust system. Several thousands of people (both children and adults) used I/O Brush as an interactive museum piece.

Reflecting on the I/O Brush

I/O Brush, in general, well illustrates the Tangible Manipulation (TM) theme. Actual physical wooden paintbrush not only implies and invites the users to ‘pick it up and paint,’ but also is the main objects of interest, Haptic Direct Manipulation. The white canvas also strongly attracts the users to paint and visually shows the result of the users’ brushstrokes on the canvas. Little window in the corner of the canvas display the ‘ink,’ image being captured by paint brush, allows the users to understand the interaction and system easily. Here, I/O Brush has strong Lightweight Interaction and Isomorph Effects.

On the other hand, I/O Brush represents less strong theme of Spatial Interaction (SI) as it only holds Inhabited Space and Non-fragmented Visibility characteristics. The space that I/O Brush is installed becomes a meaningful space and inhabited, since the users use the space as their studios for creative work. Also the paintbrush and canvas on the spot provides non-fragmented visibility with their implied meanings.

I/O Brush also holds strong Embodied Facilitation (EF) theme. Embodied Constraints are given with actual wooden paintbrush and white canvas space, where the users can look what they are capturing with the hidden video inside of the brush as ‘inks,’ and visually sees what they are painting on the canvas in real time. It also has Multiple Access Points in a sense that all users can see what the artist paints in real time, and many people can smudge the painting on canvas with their fingers at the same time, however only the person who is painting holds the main access point, the paintbrush. I/O Brush is also a good example that enables Tailored Representation. With the force sensor attached on the paintbrush, the users can vary the volume of ink flow by how much pressure they apply. Also a MEMS-based inclinometer inside the brush enables the ‘inks’ to be turned while the users draw a curve. Artist can smudge part of the painting with their fingers too. Such features address and engage participants, offering cognitive and emotional access.

Mainly with its canvas (infrared vision based touch panel over a back projection screen), I/O Brush satisfies the theme of Expressive Representation (ER). Painting on the canvas is a powerful means of Externalization, allowing people to appreciate artist’s creativity and beauty of the painting. The canvas also helps artists to keep in track and think through what they want to express. Perceived Coupling is enhanced as artists can smudge the painting on the canvas with their fingertips, and mostly as they can see their painting on the canvas in real time so naturally.

Microsoft Surface

Microsoft Surface!
I was so excited to actually see and use it at school :-)

Size: 108 x 69 x 54 CM
Weight: 90kg

I/O:

2 headphone jacks
6 USB 2.0 ports

RGB component video
S-VGA video (DB15 external VGA connector)
Component audio
Ethernet port (Gigabit Ethernet card [10/100/1000])
External monitor port
Bays for routing cables
On/Standby power button

Display:

Type: 30-inch XGA DLP® projector
ATI X1650 graphics card with 256 MB of memory
Maximum resolution: 1024 x 768
Lamp mean-life expectancy: 6,000+ hours

Cell Tango

I liked his ideas and philosophy, but it was not aesthetically pleasing '_'

I/O Brush

I/O Brush

TUI that I read paper about, and presented to the class :-)
Link underneath is the video clip that I was trying to show in the class:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aikK7FEltrE