KineticWorld

Irregular Incurve Robotic Instrument

2009-05-12T11:29:00.000-07:00

Over at ITP, Xiaoyang Feng created the Irregular Incurve as part of his thesis. As Hack-a-Day describes it:

it’s a midi instrument with an array of 12 strung bows mounted to a curved shower rod. the end of each bow has a tuning key. the strings are each picked using independently mounted arms. one servo controls the downward motion of the pick while the other controls the rotation of the shaft. a damper is also attached to each arm. the string vibrations are transferred to a spruce soundbox under the bridge.

There is also video of the instrument in action:

itp 2009 Irregular Incurve string keytar thingy from Gizmodo on Vimeo.

I think that what I like about this piece is that it works from the opposite direction that a lot of work has been going, which is instead of focusing on the interface, and what it is that the audience interacts with, it instead focuses on side of the mechanics of the sound's creation. And I appreciate that. Great piece!

Schematic Fragments at Beavis Audio

2009-02-12T14:09:00.000-08:00

Over at Beavis Audio they've posted a page of handy schematics. I love keeping schematic blocks like this within easy reach as I always seem to need a quick and simple oscillator, amplifier, or filter of some sort.

From the post:
"With all the bits of schematic goo I've been obsessively drawing over the years, it seemed like a good idea to put some of the fragments and misc blocks up on a page. Here it is: Blocks and Fragments. I'll update this page over time as I draw up new things. Note that most are fragments and some are unverified, but there should be some useful bits in there for you."

Aaron Geman @ Mercury20 Gallery

2009-02-06T19:48:00.000-08:00

Kinetic sculptor Aaron Geman is showing a wonderful new kinetic piece at Mercury20 Gallery in Oakland. I think the title is "Parallelotree and the Mechanical Wind", don't quote me yet though - we're looking into it.

TinkerKit

2009-02-06T10:34:00.000-08:00

This is something I have been hoping to see (but smart enough to not try to do myself) ever since I first saw someone using TELEO modules way back when. But when I saw TELEO I knew I wanted something more, and different (and hopefully at a much lower price.) The TinkerKit is currently under development, and is not yet commercially available. We will certainly be following the project's progress with bated breath...or is that bated blogging?

Lifted from the TinkerKit website:
TinkerKit is an Arduino-compatible physical computing prototyping toolkit aimed at design professionals.

The interest in physical computing as an area in development within the creative industries has been increasing rapidly. In response to this Tinker.it! is developing the TinkerKit to introduce fast iterative physical computing methodologies to newcomers, and particularly design professionals.

What is the TinkerKit made of?

The TinkerKit is currently composed of about 30 different parts: 20 different types of sensors, 10 actuators. There is also a set of Arduino-compatible hubs. Each part of the TinkerKit has a standard connector that can be connected through a standard cable to a main hub.

These hubs include:

- A sensor hub for the Arduino (this is a shield that sits on top of the Arduino and allows the sensors to be connected easily).
- A keyboard emulator (which converts any input from the sensors into keystrokes).

At the moment, the sensors included as part of the TinkerKit are:
- Tilt Sensor
- 3 Axis Accelerometer
- Bend Sensor
- 1 Axis Gyroscope
- Hall Sensor
- Infra Red Distance Sensor
- LDR Light Sensor
- 2D Compass
- Rotary Potentiometer
- Capacitative touch Sensor
- PIR Sensor
- Touch Slider
- Touch Wheel
- Ultrasound distance sensor
- GPS
- Encoder
- Linear potentiometer
- Piezo

Intimate Control and the Multidimentional Force Sensor

2009-02-03T01:29:00.000-08:00

Multitouch Prototype 2 from Randy Jones on Vimeo.

So this got the attention of our (that being CTP and I) class today. Multitouch, pressure and velocity sensing?! And under $50 to make!!!? W00t! Three or four of us are gearing up to try and make one these, what, Intimate Controller? Multidimentional Force Sensor? I'm not sure what they are being called, but we want to make one this semester.

CDM, I think, says it best: "Who needs a "top 10 technologies of 2008" post for CDM when this particular instrument could pretty easily top the whole list? Let’s just call it done, and uncork the champagne: major congrats, Randy!"

But here is the kicker: the audio interface that he uses runs at about $1000. That's a bit steep for most people who are attracted to this project precisely because it is inexpensive. In the comments for the video, Randall hints at both OSC and use of the Arduino in future versions, so it doesn't sound like it's out of the realm of possibilities. If true, the latter would really allow this project to get it's legs, while the former could open up whole new realms of possibilities (video manipulation, use in Supercollider, Chuck or Processing).

Exciting!

Arduino Realtime Audio Processing

2009-02-03T01:20:00.000-08:00

I don't know how old this is, but I just ran across it searching for something completely different (ok, not *completely* different, just not this, per se). Anyways, it's a write up for doing realtime manipulation of an audio signal with an Arduino. Pretty cool, and considering all of the other things that you can throw into the mix with an Arduino (flex sensors, pressure sensors, distance sensors, the list goes on) this would be great for live performances.

Read it here.

LED Pushbuttons

2009-01-30T01:28:00.000-08:00

Hack-a-Day has a post up about a neat and clean way of doing led pushbuttons from pros. (translated)

The LED isn’t actually soldered where it passes through the board. The anode and cathode are bent around and soldered to allow the LED a little bit of travel.

Looks really nice. I am going to have to try this on my next project.

via Hack-a-Day

One Chip "Dead Bug" Arduino

2009-01-18T13:02:00.000-08:00

Shamelessly lifted off our pal, Bre Pettis ;-)

Bre Pettis just blogged about a new Arduino variant, called the "O'Baka" made by Kimio Kosaka (baka means "stupid" in Japanese, evidently)

Click here for the project's website.

AKA Show Closing Friday

2009-01-18T12:48:00.000-08:00

Applied Kinetic Arts' show at the Y2Y gallery closes this Friday. The Y2Y Gallery is located at Jeff King & Company, 251 Balboa Street, in San Francisco.

Stay tuned for AKA's next show, where and whenever that might be.

Analog and Digital Synth with MOTU Volta

2009-01-17T02:09:00.000-08:00

CDM has a review of the new MOTU Volta software. This software (currently Mac only) allows users to control their analog synth (with either the MOTU audio interface or the RME Fireface) via their computer and "turns your audio interface into a Control Voltage device."

Read the full review and tutorial here.

Free Electronics Stock Photos

2009-01-14T11:56:00.000-08:00

There's this very cool site, called Electronics-Lab.com, and they have a very cool new thing, and that's a whole lot of nice looking electronics stock photos, all for free. This is great stuff for creating lessons, Instructables, brochures, or anywhere you may need such pictures.

Oh, and yes, the picture on this post is from their collection.

I plan to write more about Electronics-Lab.com in future posts.

Learning Electronics

2009-01-13T11:47:00.000-08:00

Several times a week I get asked by someone what I recommend as the best/easiest/quickest/least expensive way to learn about electronics. Some people learn best in a classroom environment, but a lot of people don't have the time, or the money to do that. My standard recommendation for self study has been, for quite a while now, a 300-in-1 Electronics Learning Lab (so called because they contain parts and instruction for 300 different circuit lessons), and a good book. Both can be had for a total of less than $100.

The book I recommend is Paul Scherz' "Practical Electronics For Inventors" a wonderfully complete tome that is of use from the very beginnings into experthood. The link above is to the second edition. Note that used copies of the first edition are available at very good prices, and it is still a very fine book.

As far as my recommendation for the kit goes, there are two on the market - I call them the black one and the white one. The black one comes from Radio Shack, and I can highly recommend it as I have owned one for years. The two part manual (a good basic electronics reference in its own right) was written by Forrest Mims. The kit can be purchased online, or in most Radio Shack stores for around $70. More info at RadioShack.com

The other unit on the market is available all over the place...but be careful. In my recent searches I found it priced anywhere from $80 to $130 - yes, a $50 swing on the exact same item. The average price is somewhere around $100. I know a lot of this particular kit gets sold, and I know that there are happy customers out there, but I have no personal experience with it. From looking at the list of 300 projects the two kits look very, very similar. Here's the best deal I found on the white kit.

One last thing - neither of these kits contain nor discuss microcontrollers. They are for learning basic analog and digital electronics. The stuff they'll teach you will come in very handy, though, if and when you decide to try your hand at microcontrollers.

BUG Labs

2009-01-11T01:18:00.000-08:00

Over at CDM, they have a write up on the new BUG Labs modular computing platform that caught my eye:

...BUG Labs, makers of open source, Linux-based hardware you can snap together like Lego bricks, now has a range of new modules. Most interesting to readers here: there's an audio module, with input, output, a speaker, and even the possibility of basic onboard DSP. Combined with the other modules - GPS positioning, accelerometer/proximity sensor, physical computing-style inputs and outputs for sensors and robotics and switches and things, a touchscreen, a Linux-powered computer, a camera with stills and video, cell phone SIM - this could lead to some interesting projects. It's certainly got competition from conventional computers and new Linux-powered devices like the Android platform, but then, that just makes for a healthier range of choices for designing your own mashed-up, hacked-up hardware of the future.

Seems exciting to me. What I think will be most exciting is seeing what people will do with this and other open source hardware platforms such as the Arduino and the BeagleBoard

Controlling Sony Camcorders With an Arduino

2009-01-10T01:35:00.000-08:00

Hackzine has an interesting post about using an Arduino board to control a Sony camcorder:

If you're an Arduino fan, you can easily create your own custom devices that can interact with your camcorder using the LANC protocol, allowing you to control zoom and record functions from your own programs. Goose wrote about his own project and example Arduino source:

I found source code to do LANC control with the Arduino board. It was written quite well - it worked the first time out. I made a few changes though, specifically changing it from being controlled by a serial port to being controlled by a potentiometer. I plan to build my own zoom controller with it, using an Arduino Mini.

Read the Hackzine post here.

Make your own Snail Art Car

2009-01-10T00:58:00.000-08:00

Jon Sarriugarte and Krysten Mate have posted an Instructable detailing the building process for their Snail Art Car. Good info here for, for "building any kind of art car... I hope by posting this you gather your own team (most of mine had no experience) and make your own dream car together."

Via Make

Bre Pettis - Rapid Prototype Your Life

2009-01-08T20:28:00.000-08:00

Friend of KineticWorld, Bre Pettis, gave a talk recently at 25C3, the annual Chaos Computer Congress in Berlin on rapid prototyping. BoingBoing has a nice write up here, and Bre has his own post about it here.

vague terrain 12: device art

2009-01-08T20:07:00.000-08:00

Vague Terrain recently posted their newest journal, this time focusing on "Device Art" and "the long lineage of machine making in arts and industry and [collecting] a survey of contemporary work to represent this emerging microcontroller-driven age."

This abundance feeds an underground culture of hackers and 'circuit benders' in much the same way that the post World War II glut of cars fuelled the hot rod craze of the 50s and 60s ... The rise of rapid protoyping and small-run custom manufacturing means that an artist can essentially have a factory in their living room, and produce electronic devices as easily as previous generations made prints or ceramics.

Read the article here.

ArtMachines.org is here!!!

2008-12-19T16:26:00.000-08:00

The ever super and incomparable Violet Blue has a new blog called Art Machines, with the tagline "the art of the machine, and the machines of art". As you can well imagine I sat up and took notice, being crazy about machines and all. Anyway go take a look, and subscribe, and enjoy!!!

ROBOEXOTICA 2008!!!

2008-12-02T01:12:00.000-08:00

As is my way these days, here's last minute notice that Roboexotica 2008 starts this week. You see, I have been working like crazy to get a new piece ready for it. My piece is called The RimShotBot - it tells punchlines, and/or GWBushisms, or whatever I want it to, and gives itself a rimshot every time. I can also summon rimshots on cue when needed. It looks like this:

And more pix will appear in this photoset as they happen.

Applied Kinetic Arts Upcoming Show

2008-11-19T21:52:00.000-08:00

Kinetic art show, this Friday, 6-8PM, Y2Y Gallery at Jeff King & Company, 251 Balboa Street, in San Francisco.

See you all there, I hope!

The Great Handcar Regatta - SUNDAY!!!

2008-09-26T16:15:00.000-07:00

Hiya folks!

This Sunday, September 28th, a grand event is to be held in Santa Rosa, California. It's called The Great West End & Railroad Square Handcar Regatta & Exposition of Mechanical & Artistic Wonders. It's free to get in, and perfect for all ages. Info on our favorite stuff can be found here. You can easily navigate to the main part of the site, as well as specific info and directions from there.

The gang I've come to consider family, who built the Steampunk Treehouse last year, created a 10 foot diameter hamster wheel for humans called The Lumbering Contraption (pictured above). It is set to compete in the handcar races on the railroad tracks at the event.

I hope to see you all there!

photo 1 - Bena Currin
photo 2 - Nick Winterhalter

Yoichi Nagashima, professor of physical computing, SUAC

2008-07-25T11:33:00.000-07:00

Beat Box by Toru Kawarazaki

Yoichi Nagashima from SUAC (Shizuoka University of Art and Culture) just presented a lot of the work his students have done over the years using physical computing. There is a very rich web archive of the work, go look.

Sketching in Hardware 08

2008-07-25T11:09:00.000-07:00

Nathan Seidle, owner of Sparkfun Electronics, thinks very hard about something.

I am sitting at the Sketching in Hardware 08 conference, being held this year at RISD in Providence, R.I. This is the third annual Sketching conference, and my third as well. I will be posting links to interesting stuff that gets presented here. My presentation isn't until Sunday so I have some more time to work on it.

"Sketching in hardware is the process through which we understand the capabilities of emerging hardware technologies.

As digital technology moved into everyday consumer products, the economics of mass production and marketing moved products from open systems that enabled experimentation to closed systems that emphasized ease of production over the ease of consumption. This technology creation culture emphasized scale, a deep understanding of basic electronics and the development of monolithic products designed for use largely in isolation from one another.

However, that may now be changing. Miniaturization, power-reduction and knowledge embedding enable smart components that abstract much of the low-level engineering complexity, while keeping the capabilities of the technology accessible and affordable to people outside of heavy industry. This has re-created the possibility of vernacular technology that can be built from smart parts. People who would otherwise be unable to directly engage with digital technology tools can now augment, manipulate, experiment, build, explore. In other words, sketch. "

Fire Arts Festival 2008

2008-07-11T01:57:00.001-07:00

Holy Moly!!!! I've been so busy getting ready for the annual Fire Arts Festival that I forgot to tell you all about it. Two more nights left - tonight and tomorrow. 7th Street, West Oakland, Near BART. Loads of pix online already.

More info at The Crucible's website.

Mechanicrawl, San Francisco, July 12th

2008-07-03T11:41:00.000-07:00

July 12th, 3PM until 8PM.
You can purchase tickets for Mechanicrawl, or join one of the participating organizations and get in free! Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for children (under 6 are free) and $11 for students and seniors.

A great way to support these mechanical marvels of San Francisco is through their membership programs; links can be found under Main Attractions at the Mechanicrawl site.

"Mechanicrawl is a progressive tour through the mechanical wonders of San Francisco's North Shore showcasing several amazing machines that are usually not available to the public.

You'll be able to map your own route to see the giant running steam engine aboard the SS Jeremiah O'Brien, one of the most complex mechanical computers ever built, The Torpedo Data Computer aboard the USS Pampanito Submarine, turn of the century automata, over 200 coin operated machines and video games at the Musee Mecanique, the Orrey, Solar Synchronizer and new Walking Bearing at The Long Now Museum and Store, special films and exhibits at the Exploratorium and more!"

More info at Make's site.