Ji-won Woo
CS349
Assignment 2: Conceptual Frameworks
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.
