gesture tracking

FSRs and voltage dividersThe last time we had the sensor rig out for a performance/demo, the only failure was the sensor mounts on the heel and toe.
Now the FSRs (force-sensing resistors) are built into footbeds in these cool Capezio dance shoes - full dynamic range and solid data stream ('cause they stay in place, right under the points where the dancer meets the floor).
Somehow we managed to mangle one of the sensors on the last go-around; replacements are on the way and then we'll be good to finalize the instruments and programs for the next show.

Also this week was the first test of the full-body gesture recognition and translation system, downtown at our warehouse space.
With the audio system, video projection, lighting and laptops to run the audio and video software set up, we strapped the sensor system on dancer Forest and ran a short improvised performance where her movements drove both the music and visual compositions.

Over the last few weeks I've been prototyping the sensor rig for the upcoming gesture-driven performance system.

Rotation at each major arm and leg joint is tracked by simple 50k potentiometers. Dual-axis accelerometers are mounted on each hand.

Intel boothWhile technically not holography, "holographic" panels such as the one shown here create a compelling, three-dimensional experience by combining rear-screen projection on a transparent surface with embedded touchscreen technology.

At Oracle Open World 2008, I did the application development and on-site install/support for this installation in the Intel booth that integrated three such panels, arranged in a triangle. The center of the staging was open and the three panels faced inward. The result was an environment in which a user interacting on one panel could also see beyond the panel to (the reverse of) the opposite panels and finally to the show floor beyond. This allowed participants to interact with the presentation without being closed off from the larger experience around them and gave the installation a very "open" feel.