fromCONCENTRATE

Insight into the development process for my latest DOING assignment:

This piece is part of a larger dialogue/work ‘AUGMENTED INADEQUACIES’ which you can read about here:

http://www.intersectionspublicart.org.uk/project2.php?id=00028

and here:

http://www.intersectionspublicart.org.uk/project3.php?id=00033

more soon!

The final submission for the Digital Media DOING module requires a response to the theme of “Extensions of Man” – invoking a McLuhanesque conception of communications media & technology as extensions ov our human capability.

This relates nicely to a new project I have been developing – Augmented Inadequcies – in collaboration with the artist Alan Smith and Allenheads Contemporary Arts:

Quick update on the Tilt-Tick-Tock (hourglass) concept outlined in the previous post – here it is!

The device translates the ‘turning over’ action associated with the traditional egg-timer into the revealed words ‘tick and ‘tock’ – archetypal (and now redundant) by-products of clock mechanisms.

Basically, an Arduino micro-controller has been pre-programmed to send alternate bursts of full and zero power to a DC motor from a 9v battery ONLY when the device is turned over (because the action of turning over is detected by a mercury tilt sensor).

See TiltTickTock in action below:

Full power is supplied for 3.4 seconds (a time established by trial and error) and this rotates the single aperture in the yellow acrylic ‘face’ around to the approximate position of the written words – ‘tick’ and ‘tock’.

It should be pointed out that a servo motor would give far better ‘accuracy’ in designating the exact position of the ‘face’ if that were desired.  The challenge here was to make something interesting with these quite blunt and clumsy components and actually, the inevitable inaccuracy of the DC motor solution (due to friction, difference of power, loss of power etc.) works well here as an interesting analogue to the the problems faced by the early manufacturers of the mechanical clocks in keeping to time (prior to the design of various escapement, containing and regulating the mechanism.)  If you observe carefully you will be able to see that the TiltTickTock runs slightly ‘fast.’

Another aspect of the device which is aesthetically interesting is the way in which the circular aperture of the yellow ‘face’ appears to eclipse the white ‘tick’ and ‘tock’ elements – indirectly invoking movements of the earth, sun and moon (by which we measure the passage of time).

Images of parts/process, various schematics (thanks to Fritzing) and arduino code below:

components/tools identified:

• Arduino microcontroller
• breadboard
• DC Motor
• mercury tilt sensor
• TIP120 transistor
• 10Kohm resistor
• 9 v batteries (for both arduino and motor)
• wires
• various circular lids etc. to test rotation
• clear plastic sweetie box is excellent for containing projects!

…add ‘tick’ and ‘tock’ circles (authentic typed and re-scanned from my typewriter) – ‘face’ simple vector cut out using laser-cutter:

//TiltTickTock by John O’Shea
//Monday 10th May 2010
//MRes. Digital Media DOING Module – Jamie Allen
//Newcastle University Culture Lab

// Arduino code allowing tilt sensor to trigger motor via transistor

// micro-project translating ‘egg-timer’ metaphor to ‘escapement’ metaphor
//via electronics and code

// constants won’t change. They’re used here to
// set pin numbers:

const int tiltPin = 7;     // the number of the tilt sensor pin
const int transistorPin = 9;      // the number of the transistor pin

// variables will change:
int tiltState = 0;         // variable for reading the tilt sensor status

void setup() {
// initialize the transistor pin as an output:
pinMode(transistorPin, OUTPUT);
// initialize the tilt pin as an input:
pinMode(tiltPin, INPUT);
}

void loop(){
// read the state of the tilt sensor value:
tiltState = digitalRead(tiltPin);

// check if the tilt sensor is activated.
// if it is, the transistor is open and the clock programme runs:
if (tiltState == HIGH) {
// turn transistor on:
digitalWrite(transistorPin, HIGH);
delay(3400);
digitalWrite(transistorPin, LOW);
delay(1000);
}
else {
// close transistor (clock circuit off):
digitalWrite(transistorPin, LOW);
}
}

/*
this code is a hybrid of:
Button
2005 by DojoDave <http://www.0j0.org>
modified 17 Jun 2009
by Tom Igoe
This example code is in the public domain.

http://www.arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/Button

&
High Current Loads @ ITP Physical Computing

http://itp.nyu.edu/physcomp/Tutorials/HighCurrentLoads

with reference to Arduino site:

http://www.arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/TiltSensor

*/

Of course – another strategy for making information/data and concepts more ‘tangible’ or ‘graspable’ when exhibiting in the public realm, is to re-present the information using a ‘loaded’ material, (as this example from a Liverpool Museum demonstrates…)

How to visualise data/information, in a tangible way, in the public realm?

Back in November I had a look at this work, DEATH COUNTER by Santiago Sierra, which was installed on the front of Hiscox Insurance HQ in central London, for the course of 2009.

The giant LED, reminiscent of the digital clocks and information boards seen throughout most major cities, tallies (in real-time) the total number of human deaths worldwide, starting from zero at 00:00:00 on the 1st of January 2009.

In terms of ‘visualising data,’ there is a simple reciprocal relationship between a binary conception of life OR death and the counter-intuitive representation of these concepts as ‘one’ (death) and ‘zero’ (life), accumulating on the huge display.  Despite the potentially emotive subject matter, and the high value placed on individual human lives, the presentation is unspectacular in the extreme:

business as usual…

One quite remarkable aspect of the Sierra work, is the way in which it was funded – through a legal contract. The work was loaned to Hiscox for the duration of the exhibition, in exchange for a €150,000 life insurance policy, which would be payable in the event of the artists death.

Through a contextual balancing of an art-market value and an insurance value of the artists life, the work highlights and makes explicit the core component of the insurance industry – careful translation of the perceived, constant, risk of catastrophe into bankable capital.*

* As well as providing insurance for major banks such as Lloyds of London, Bermuda based Hiscox, provide cover in the event of kidnapping, hurricane and financial disasters. They posted pre-tax profits of £320.6m for 2009.

London Evening Standard (9/11/2009) / Insurance Daily

My first assignment of the DOING module (Simple Twisting Interface) introduced me to questions regarding the potential ‘resolution’ of information within a simple and intuitive twisting gesture – in that case turning a potentiometer and triggering audio samples within a MAXmsp patch.

For my second assignment of the DOING module (presentated 17/3/2010) I had an idea, which would work in a conceptually opposite direction:

I have begun to outline concerns regarding tokenistic ‘one click’ digital engagement with legal and political frameworks thru handheld devices and the web (see previous posts.)  Further to this, I am also alert and suspicious of the current ‘mania’ regarding the use of gesture, touch and interaction with digital technology and especially in relation to the new breed of ’smart phones,’ and home physical computing (iPhone, Nintendo Wii etc.)

And, since the title of the project brief was ‘Mirrors,’ I decided to work on something which could bring to the fore this fascination with our own (seemingly) reflected action.

I had an idea to develop some kind of application which could reflect and make apparent the (pathetic) nature of a users contribution.  This application would require a constant interaction in order to provide a very limited and basic feedback.

My idea was to use Processing to create a sketch for a potential iPhone application which would do NOTHING UNLESS SHAKEN.  On shaking the device, a looped video file will play but then, if the user stops shaking, the video will pause.  Since the video is set to loop after only a few seconds this constant user effort will return a very limited response.

In terms of the media file, I wanted something silly and banal and I decided to use a video of someone playing the maracas.  A suitable media file, which I found in the incredible Prelinger Archives and sampled in order to produce the loop, can be viewed here:  http://www.archive.org/details/Havana-Madri_2

Below is my sketch – which is extremely simple – embedding the video and overlaying an image of an iPhone.  Mouse movement over the sketch is used for the purpose of the sketch as an analogous ‘demo’ signal in place of actual, physical iPhone ’shaking.’

//SKETCH ‘Constant Agitation’ – John O’Shea
//DM MRes. / Culture Lab / 17-3-2010

import processing.video.*;

Movie video;
PImage img;

void setup(){
size(400, 400);
frameRate(10);
img = loadImage(“iPhone_template_400_400_240_160.png”);

video = new Movie(this, “MaracusLOOP169QVGAzoomed.mov”);
video.loop();
}

// callback function (below) seemed to result in undesired flickering
//so used ‘if’ function within ‘draw’

//void movieEvent(Movie m) {
// m.read();
//image(video,140,40);

void draw(){

//call video
if (video.available()){
video.read();
}

//video image positioned at desired location
image(video,40,40);

//boolean statement below checks for mouse movement
if (pmouseX == mouseX && pmouseY == mouseY){
video.speed(0);
}else{
video.speed(1);
}

//overlay image inserted at the very end so that it is on top
image(img, 0,0);
}

The complete file (with required media components) can also be downloaded here.

In Lev Manovich’s Interaction as an Aesthetic Event – a text describing mobile phone evolution up to 2005 – he outlines a notion of technological interaction as theatre.*

One thing which this brings to my mind, is a memorable early scene in The Matrix (Neo’s first encounter with the elusive Morpheus) where a Nokia phone is taken out of a parcel box and, without stimulation, the mouthpiece of the device springs forth, giving a physical expression to the already heightened sense of ‘drama’ in this particular moment.

Whilst searching for a YouTube clip of the scene, I stumbled across a comment left on another video (specifically related to that Nokia phone) which gives further clues to the nature of this seductive and overwhelming effect:

lndac02 (3 months ago)
I still have mine, its a design classic. I used to feel like neo ever time I clicked the slider down to take a call. it is a cool phone and always will be.

Below, a fan remix video highlights this juxtaposition of cellphone interaction and drama in The Matrix; mobile ringtones precede heroic violence against an oppressive infrastructure; telephones are presented as both gateways and exits for drama and escape. (Watch it all – it’s great!)

Another YouTube video (below) makes audible, the ominous electro-magnetic interference which often preceded the shrill personalised ringtones of the late nineties – further emphasising another way in which these mobile devices engender dramatic tension.*  (Inadvertently?) the video also has some kind of intense rhythmic machine-like banging in the background.

So! – Don’t be annoyed next time someone picks up a call at an inappropriate time – REMEMBER! – In our, highly-networked, global society, ALL PHONES are the BAT-PHONE: Each and every one of us must, at all times, be ready and willing to be called upon and to act in the role of protagonist, centre ov the stage.***

* refers to: Brenda Laurel, Computers as Theatre (1991)
**iPhone users still experience this nostalgia-tinged interference phenomena if they go anywhere near an old telly.
***It does appear to be the case that we are all subconsciously sleepwalking towards the belief that we are NOT IN FACT MERELY RECEIVING A PHONECALL but instead, that we are at a pivotal point of the most important drama ever to manifest and potentially we are making THE crucial connection which might ultimately FREE (not only our individual self, but also) the whole of humankind from our collective technological enslavement.

During our DOING session 001 we did an initial experiment inputting analogue data into MAX using Arduino + Potentiometer.

Question – why? what is the relationship between ‘turning’ and ’sound’? What is interesting about this?

Sound and Turning

• potentiometers (pots) used on mixing desks

where else? – reels, wheels, disks (cassette –> music, cars –> noise

This hand gesture is familiar, a kind of latent physical memory.

• ad-hoc (twist ov the thumb, pen/pencil)
• improvised, inventive, intuitive
• twisting hand gesture directly linked to malfunction of cassette tape
• not CONTRIVED PHYSICALITY