The Future of Geotagged Audio
The Future of Geotagged Audio
By Peter Traub
Blogged on Networked_Music_Review
For my inaugural post to [Networked_Music_Review], I'd like to write about
something I've been thinking about lately, and hopefully begin a discussion
on it. Namely, what to make of geotagged audio samples and recordings
(http//freesound.iua.upf.edu/geotagsView.php). In case you're not familiar
with the term, geotagging is the practice of assigning geographic
coordinates to a piece of media like a recording or photo as a form of
metadata. In one incarnation, such as on the Freesound project
(http://freesound.iua.upf.edu/), geotagged samples are layered over Google
maps, allowing one to zoom in on any spot on the planet and potentially find
samples tagged to specific geographic locations. As numerous startups and
one very large corporation (beginning with a 'G' and ending with 'oogle')
have realized, the commercial potential of geotagging is huge. But we hear
less about its scientific potential and, of importance here, its aesthetic
potential.
Scientifically, geotagged audio has potential in areas such as the
environmental sciences. As one example, imagine taking annual recordings of
a section of forest over many years, studying the variations or declines in
population of certain bird species via their prominence in the recordings.
This has likely already been done, but then imagine putting those
incremental recordings into the public sphere via an application like Google
Earth.
Of course, as an artist, I am primarily interested in the aesthetic
potential of this technology. Currently on Freesound (and hopefully soon on
Google Earth too), one can navigate around a map of the world, looking for
and listening to geotagged samples, downloading them if one is interested in
using them further. However, once the geotagged sample is downloaded and
separated from its coordinates, it becomes just another field recording
without any accompanying data. For a geotagged sample or recording to be of
value compositionally - as a geotagged sample tied to a specific place and
not just an anonymous field recording - the metadata must be maintained for
compositional use. This is where we apparently reach the edge of current
development: tools for working compositionally with geotagged sounds off of
a network have not really been developed. There is a multitude of approaches
to using this type of material, from composers interested in ecoacoustics to
installationists wanting to tap 'global' recordings in some improvisatory
way. What I'm getting at here is the need for a discussion (hopefully to
take place below), about the aesthetic and technical issues surrounding
geotagged audio, and tools that composers/artists would like to see
available for making the best of this material.
If you were to make use of geotagged audio, what would you use it for? What
kind of interfaces into a geotagged audio database would interest you?
[Respond here http://tinyurl.com/3cy7a9]
Jo-Anne Green, Co-Director
New Radio and Performing Arts, Inc.: http://new-radio.org
New York: 917.548.7780 . Boston: 617.522.3856
Turbulence: http://turbulence.org
Networked_Performance Blog: http://turbulence.org/blog
Networked_Music_Review: http://turbulence.org/networked_music_review
Upgrade! Boston: http://turbulence.org/upgrade
New American Radio: http://somewhere.org
By Peter Traub
Blogged on Networked_Music_Review
For my inaugural post to [Networked_Music_Review], I'd like to write about
something I've been thinking about lately, and hopefully begin a discussion
on it. Namely, what to make of geotagged audio samples and recordings
(http//freesound.iua.upf.edu/geotagsView.php). In case you're not familiar
with the term, geotagging is the practice of assigning geographic
coordinates to a piece of media like a recording or photo as a form of
metadata. In one incarnation, such as on the Freesound project
(http://freesound.iua.upf.edu/), geotagged samples are layered over Google
maps, allowing one to zoom in on any spot on the planet and potentially find
samples tagged to specific geographic locations. As numerous startups and
one very large corporation (beginning with a 'G' and ending with 'oogle')
have realized, the commercial potential of geotagging is huge. But we hear
less about its scientific potential and, of importance here, its aesthetic
potential.
Scientifically, geotagged audio has potential in areas such as the
environmental sciences. As one example, imagine taking annual recordings of
a section of forest over many years, studying the variations or declines in
population of certain bird species via their prominence in the recordings.
This has likely already been done, but then imagine putting those
incremental recordings into the public sphere via an application like Google
Earth.
Of course, as an artist, I am primarily interested in the aesthetic
potential of this technology. Currently on Freesound (and hopefully soon on
Google Earth too), one can navigate around a map of the world, looking for
and listening to geotagged samples, downloading them if one is interested in
using them further. However, once the geotagged sample is downloaded and
separated from its coordinates, it becomes just another field recording
without any accompanying data. For a geotagged sample or recording to be of
value compositionally - as a geotagged sample tied to a specific place and
not just an anonymous field recording - the metadata must be maintained for
compositional use. This is where we apparently reach the edge of current
development: tools for working compositionally with geotagged sounds off of
a network have not really been developed. There is a multitude of approaches
to using this type of material, from composers interested in ecoacoustics to
installationists wanting to tap 'global' recordings in some improvisatory
way. What I'm getting at here is the need for a discussion (hopefully to
take place below), about the aesthetic and technical issues surrounding
geotagged audio, and tools that composers/artists would like to see
available for making the best of this material.
If you were to make use of geotagged audio, what would you use it for? What
kind of interfaces into a geotagged audio database would interest you?
[Respond here http://tinyurl.com/3cy7a9]
Jo-Anne Green, Co-Director
New Radio and Performing Arts, Inc.: http://new-radio.org
New York: 917.548.7780 . Boston: 617.522.3856
Turbulence: http://turbulence.org
Networked_Performance Blog: http://turbulence.org/blog
Networked_Music_Review: http://turbulence.org/networked_music_review
Upgrade! Boston: http://turbulence.org/upgrade
New American Radio: http://somewhere.org
Turbulence Commissions: Mixed Realities
June 5, 2007
Turbulence Commissions: "Mixed Realities"
Venues: Ars Virtua (Second Life); Huret & Spector Gallery (Emerson College,
Boston); and Turbulence.org
With funds from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts
http://turbulence.org/comp_07/awards.html
New Radio and Performing Arts, Inc. is pleased to announce the winners of
"Mixed Realities," an international juried competition and exhibition. The
five commissioned works ($5,000 each) will be exhibited simultaneously at
Ars Virtua (Second Life), Huret & Spector Gallery (Boston), and
Turbulence.org in spring 2008. They are:
IMAGING KALININGRAD: THE SEVEN BRIDGES OF KOENIGSBERG
John (Craig) Freeman
REMOTELY COUPLED DEVICES (WORKING TITLE)
Usman Haque, Georg Tremmel and Neill Zero
NO MATTER
Scott Kildall and Victoria Scott
THE VITRUVIAN WORLD
Michael Takeo Magruder, Drew Baker and David Steele
CATERWAUL
Pierre Proske, with technical assistance from Artem Baguinski and Brigit
Lichtenegger
KALININGRAD AND THE SEVEN BRIDGES OF KOENIGSBERG by John (Craig) Freeman is
an extension of Freeman's "Imaging Place" project; a place-based, immersive,
virtual reality project that takes the form of a user navigated, interactive
computer program combining panoramic photography, digital video, and
three-dimensional technologies to investigate and document situations where
the forces of globalization are impacting the lives of individuals in local
communities. The famous Swiss mathematician Leonard Euler invented
Topology--the key to understanding how networks are formed--in the city of
Koenigsberg, now Kaliningrad, in 1735. When Euler visited the city, there
were seven bridges connecting the city's center to the banks of the Pregel
River. A favorite pastime for visitors was to try to solve the puzzle of
whether or not a person could walk throughout the city and cross each of the
bridges exactly once. Freeman will retrace the imaginary steps of Leonard
Euler across these seven bridges. Users will be able to navigate the virtual
space as the story of the seven bridges unfolds, as well as the story of how
globalization is impacting this remote Russian city. Full proposal here:
http://turbulence.org/comp_07/proposals/freeman/index.html
REMOTELY COUPLED DEVICES by Usman Haque, Georg Tremmel and Neill Zero: This
proposal takes as its starting point that the distinction between 'virtual'
and 'real' is as quaint as the nineteenth century distinction between 'mind'
and 'body'. As such, the spaces of Ars Virtua and Huret & Spector Gallery
will be treated equivalently. A device will be constructed for each space
which--via the EnvironmentXML framework--will enable people around the world
to build remote devices and environments that respond in real time to the
local environmental conditions of the two galleries. A Java applet and
historical data repository, residing on the Turbulence.org server, will
enable the tracking of real time and historical sensory data from the two
locations as well as the connections that people make over time. Full
proposal here: http://turbulence.org/comp_07/proposals/haque/index.html
NO MATTER by Scott Kildall and Victoria Scott: No Matter is an interactive
installation that translates the psychology of the Second Life virtual
economy into physical space. Virtual economies--where artificial currencies
are exchanged in online worlds for dematerialized goods and services--are
presently impacting the 'real' economy. The leakage of one to another
appears on eBay, on the SL Exchange and through virtual land brokers. This
mixed economic model overturns established relationships between labor and
production. As specialty items can be obtained at a fraction of their real
world cost, our perception of the value of objects becomes further obscured.
No Matter reflects this conflation of imaginary and real economics by: (1)
commissioning the creation of imaginary objects in Second Life; (2) inviting
viewers to re-construct these immaterial 3D objects in physical space; (3)
paying them Second Life wages; and (4) reselling the replicas on eBay. Full
proposal here:
http://turbulence.org/comp_07/proposals/kildall_scott/index.html
THE VITRUVIAN WORLD by Michael Takeo Magruder, Drew Baker and David Steele:
In the 1st century BC, Roman writer, architect and engineer Vitruvius
authored specific building formulae based on the guiding principles of
strength, utility and beauty. For him, architecture is intrinsically linked
to nature and is an imitation of cosmic order. The most well-known
interpretation of this postulate is the Vitruvian Man by Leonardo da Vinci
in which the human form is depicted in unity with the square and
circle--representing material and spiritual existence respectively. Given
that this tripart union of human body, material form and spiritual essence
maintains relevance within the current climate of distributed presence,
mixed realities and internet culture, The Vitruvian World will embody the
principles of Vitruvius within a contemporary context. Full proposal here:
http://turbulence.org/comp_07/proposals/magruder/index.htm
CATERWAUL by Pierre Proske, with technical assistance from Artem Baguinski
and Brigit Lichtenegger: When someone screams in real life, do they hear us
in virtual reality? Do they want to? The proliferation of networked online
worlds has provided a small quota of the human race the option to seek
refuge in utopian, less troubled imaginary lands. Rolling synthetic green
pastures offer us respite from a planet undergoing exploitation and climate
change. For those of us too firmly rooted in this material world to join
them, how shall we communicate with them? In what way shall we lament their
departure? The essence of Caterwaul is a large, monolithic, dark wall that
is represented both in the real and virtual worlds. It is a one-way portal
to the virtual world through which people can whisper their thoughts, scream
their frustrations and convey regret without the privilege of reply. It is a
wailing wall through which to mourn the loss of our humanity to the virtual
network. Full proposal here:
http://turbulence.org/comp_07/proposals/proske/index.html
The competition was juried by Yasmine Abbas, Founder, Neo-Nomad; Michael
Frumin, Technical Director Emeritus, Eyebeam; James Morgan, Director, Ars
Virtua; Trebor Scholz, Founder, Institute for Distributed Creativity; and
Helen Thorington, Co-Director, Turbulence.
Jo-Anne Green, Co-Director
New Radio and Performing Arts, Inc.: http://new-radio.org
New York: 917.548.7780 . Boston: 617.522.3856
Turbulence: http://turbulence.org
Networked_Performance Blog: http://turbulence.org/blog
Networked_Music_Review: http://turbulence.org/networked_music_review
Upgrade! Boston: http://turbulence.org/upgrade
New American Radio: http://somewhere.org
Turbulence Commissions: "Mixed Realities"
Venues: Ars Virtua (Second Life); Huret & Spector Gallery (Emerson College,
Boston); and Turbulence.org
With funds from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts
http://turbulence.org/comp_07/awards.html
New Radio and Performing Arts, Inc. is pleased to announce the winners of
"Mixed Realities," an international juried competition and exhibition. The
five commissioned works ($5,000 each) will be exhibited simultaneously at
Ars Virtua (Second Life), Huret & Spector Gallery (Boston), and
Turbulence.org in spring 2008. They are:
IMAGING KALININGRAD: THE SEVEN BRIDGES OF KOENIGSBERG
John (Craig) Freeman
REMOTELY COUPLED DEVICES (WORKING TITLE)
Usman Haque, Georg Tremmel and Neill Zero
NO MATTER
Scott Kildall and Victoria Scott
THE VITRUVIAN WORLD
Michael Takeo Magruder, Drew Baker and David Steele
CATERWAUL
Pierre Proske, with technical assistance from Artem Baguinski and Brigit
Lichtenegger
KALININGRAD AND THE SEVEN BRIDGES OF KOENIGSBERG by John (Craig) Freeman is
an extension of Freeman's "Imaging Place" project; a place-based, immersive,
virtual reality project that takes the form of a user navigated, interactive
computer program combining panoramic photography, digital video, and
three-dimensional technologies to investigate and document situations where
the forces of globalization are impacting the lives of individuals in local
communities. The famous Swiss mathematician Leonard Euler invented
Topology--the key to understanding how networks are formed--in the city of
Koenigsberg, now Kaliningrad, in 1735. When Euler visited the city, there
were seven bridges connecting the city's center to the banks of the Pregel
River. A favorite pastime for visitors was to try to solve the puzzle of
whether or not a person could walk throughout the city and cross each of the
bridges exactly once. Freeman will retrace the imaginary steps of Leonard
Euler across these seven bridges. Users will be able to navigate the virtual
space as the story of the seven bridges unfolds, as well as the story of how
globalization is impacting this remote Russian city. Full proposal here:
http://turbulence.org/comp_07/proposals/freeman/index.html
REMOTELY COUPLED DEVICES by Usman Haque, Georg Tremmel and Neill Zero: This
proposal takes as its starting point that the distinction between 'virtual'
and 'real' is as quaint as the nineteenth century distinction between 'mind'
and 'body'. As such, the spaces of Ars Virtua and Huret & Spector Gallery
will be treated equivalently. A device will be constructed for each space
which--via the EnvironmentXML framework--will enable people around the world
to build remote devices and environments that respond in real time to the
local environmental conditions of the two galleries. A Java applet and
historical data repository, residing on the Turbulence.org server, will
enable the tracking of real time and historical sensory data from the two
locations as well as the connections that people make over time. Full
proposal here: http://turbulence.org/comp_07/proposals/haque/index.html
NO MATTER by Scott Kildall and Victoria Scott: No Matter is an interactive
installation that translates the psychology of the Second Life virtual
economy into physical space. Virtual economies--where artificial currencies
are exchanged in online worlds for dematerialized goods and services--are
presently impacting the 'real' economy. The leakage of one to another
appears on eBay, on the SL Exchange and through virtual land brokers. This
mixed economic model overturns established relationships between labor and
production. As specialty items can be obtained at a fraction of their real
world cost, our perception of the value of objects becomes further obscured.
No Matter reflects this conflation of imaginary and real economics by: (1)
commissioning the creation of imaginary objects in Second Life; (2) inviting
viewers to re-construct these immaterial 3D objects in physical space; (3)
paying them Second Life wages; and (4) reselling the replicas on eBay. Full
proposal here:
http://turbulence.org/comp_07/proposals/kildall_scott/index.html
THE VITRUVIAN WORLD by Michael Takeo Magruder, Drew Baker and David Steele:
In the 1st century BC, Roman writer, architect and engineer Vitruvius
authored specific building formulae based on the guiding principles of
strength, utility and beauty. For him, architecture is intrinsically linked
to nature and is an imitation of cosmic order. The most well-known
interpretation of this postulate is the Vitruvian Man by Leonardo da Vinci
in which the human form is depicted in unity with the square and
circle--representing material and spiritual existence respectively. Given
that this tripart union of human body, material form and spiritual essence
maintains relevance within the current climate of distributed presence,
mixed realities and internet culture, The Vitruvian World will embody the
principles of Vitruvius within a contemporary context. Full proposal here:
http://turbulence.org/comp_07/proposals/magruder/index.htm
CATERWAUL by Pierre Proske, with technical assistance from Artem Baguinski
and Brigit Lichtenegger: When someone screams in real life, do they hear us
in virtual reality? Do they want to? The proliferation of networked online
worlds has provided a small quota of the human race the option to seek
refuge in utopian, less troubled imaginary lands. Rolling synthetic green
pastures offer us respite from a planet undergoing exploitation and climate
change. For those of us too firmly rooted in this material world to join
them, how shall we communicate with them? In what way shall we lament their
departure? The essence of Caterwaul is a large, monolithic, dark wall that
is represented both in the real and virtual worlds. It is a one-way portal
to the virtual world through which people can whisper their thoughts, scream
their frustrations and convey regret without the privilege of reply. It is a
wailing wall through which to mourn the loss of our humanity to the virtual
network. Full proposal here:
http://turbulence.org/comp_07/proposals/proske/index.html
The competition was juried by Yasmine Abbas, Founder, Neo-Nomad; Michael
Frumin, Technical Director Emeritus, Eyebeam; James Morgan, Director, Ars
Virtua; Trebor Scholz, Founder, Institute for Distributed Creativity; and
Helen Thorington, Co-Director, Turbulence.
Jo-Anne Green, Co-Director
New Radio and Performing Arts, Inc.: http://new-radio.org
New York: 917.548.7780 . Boston: 617.522.3856
Turbulence: http://turbulence.org
Networked_Performance Blog: http://turbulence.org/blog
Networked_Music_Review: http://turbulence.org/networked_music_review
Upgrade! Boston: http://turbulence.org/upgrade
New American Radio: http://somewhere.org
Networked_Music_Review: Interview: Miya Masaoka
From Helen Thorington's Interview with Miya Masaoka
"Miya Masaoka is a musician, composer and performance artist. She has
created works for koto, laser interfaces, laptop and video and written
scores for ensembles, chamber orchestras and mixed choirs. In her
performance pieces she has investigated the sound and movement of insects,
as well as the physiological responses of plants, the human brain, and her
own body...
Helen: I have been impressed with your work with inter-species interactions.
I wonder if you would tell us how you became interested in this and what
made you think of other species as potential live performers?
cockroaches_legs.jpg Miya: Hmmm. I have always been interested in insects,
the sounds of insects, and the hobby of having crickets as pets, and the way
that social insects communicate and organize their societies in hierarchical
structures. I was also thinking about the idea of the body, race and gender,
and wanted to illustrate the body as a blank canvas upon which societal
constructs are created and assigned. Cockroaches are social, not everyone's
favorite creature, and these from Madagascar make an incredible sound that
sounds generated from a white noise filter. When I heard them, I immediately
wanted to record their sounds and use them in a piece. Then I thought, why
not use the actual bugs in the pieces, and have them create the composition
with their movements? So when the roaches wander around on my body, while
I'm lying on a table, their movements break the laser beams, and their
amplified, pre-recorded sounds are heard in the space..." Continue reading
at Networked_Music_Review: http://tinyurl.com/3393zu
Miya is available for questions (via the comments section) until July 7,
2007.
Jo-Anne Green, Co-Director
New Radio and Performing Arts, Inc.: http://new-radio.org
New York: 917.548.7780 . Boston: 617.522.3856
Turbulence: http://turbulence.org
Networked_Performance Blog: http://turbulence.org/blog
Networked_Music_Review: http://turbulence.org/networked_music_review
Upgrade! Boston: http://turbulence.org/upgrade
New American Radio: http://somewhere.org
"Miya Masaoka is a musician, composer and performance artist. She has
created works for koto, laser interfaces, laptop and video and written
scores for ensembles, chamber orchestras and mixed choirs. In her
performance pieces she has investigated the sound and movement of insects,
as well as the physiological responses of plants, the human brain, and her
own body...
Helen: I have been impressed with your work with inter-species interactions.
I wonder if you would tell us how you became interested in this and what
made you think of other species as potential live performers?
cockroaches_legs.jpg Miya: Hmmm. I have always been interested in insects,
the sounds of insects, and the hobby of having crickets as pets, and the way
that social insects communicate and organize their societies in hierarchical
structures. I was also thinking about the idea of the body, race and gender,
and wanted to illustrate the body as a blank canvas upon which societal
constructs are created and assigned. Cockroaches are social, not everyone's
favorite creature, and these from Madagascar make an incredible sound that
sounds generated from a white noise filter. When I heard them, I immediately
wanted to record their sounds and use them in a piece. Then I thought, why
not use the actual bugs in the pieces, and have them create the composition
with their movements? So when the roaches wander around on my body, while
I'm lying on a table, their movements break the laser beams, and their
amplified, pre-recorded sounds are heard in the space..." Continue reading
at Networked_Music_Review: http://tinyurl.com/3393zu
Miya is available for questions (via the comments section) until July 7,
2007.
Jo-Anne Green, Co-Director
New Radio and Performing Arts, Inc.: http://new-radio.org
New York: 917.548.7780 . Boston: 617.522.3856
Turbulence: http://turbulence.org
Networked_Performance Blog: http://turbulence.org/blog
Networked_Music_Review: http://turbulence.org/networked_music_review
Upgrade! Boston: http://turbulence.org/upgrade
New American Radio: http://somewhere.org
Turbulence Spotlight: "Disappearing Places and Time Indefinite" by Matthew Belanger
May 1, 2007
Turbulence Spotlight: "Disappearing Places and Time Indefinite" by Matthew
Belanger, with Marianne R. Petit
http://turbulence.org/spotlight/belanger/index.html
"Disappearing Places" is both an archive and collective map of places that
no longer exist, at least not as they once did. Users can upload stories and
images, link them to a corresponding location or street address, and tag
them. They can also browse the stories and places other individuals have
submitted.
"Time Indefinite": We all experience the occasional moment in life that has
a clarity unlike the rest of our days. "Time Indefinite" is both a
repository of significant moments and a timeline that charts where we
collectively stand. Users can upload stories and images, tag them, and
browse the stories and moments others have contributed.
We are launching these sites on the one year anniversary of Belanger and
Petit's 2006 Turbulence Commission, "The Saddest Thing I Own."
BIOGRAPHIES
Matthew Belanger is a New York City and Berkshire County based new media
artist, programmer, and consultant. His works include documentary video,
large-scale digital photography, interactive online applications and
software development. His complete portfolio can be seen at:
matthewbelanger.com.
Marianne R. Petit is an Associate Arts Professor at the Interactive
Telecommunications Program at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York
University. Her work can be seen at: mariannepetit.com.
For more Turbulence Spotlights, please visit http://turbulence.org/spotlight
Jo-Anne Green, Co-Director
New Radio and Performing Arts, Inc.: http://new-radio.org
New York: 917.548.7780 . Boston: 617.522.3856
Turbulence: http://turbulence.org
Networked_Performance Blog: http://turbulence.org/blog
Networked_Music_Review: http://turbulence.org/networked_music_review
Upgrade! Boston: http://turbulence.org/upgrade
New American Radio: http://somewhere.org
Turbulence Spotlight: "Disappearing Places and Time Indefinite" by Matthew
Belanger, with Marianne R. Petit
http://turbulence.org/spotlight/belanger/index.html
"Disappearing Places" is both an archive and collective map of places that
no longer exist, at least not as they once did. Users can upload stories and
images, link them to a corresponding location or street address, and tag
them. They can also browse the stories and places other individuals have
submitted.
"Time Indefinite": We all experience the occasional moment in life that has
a clarity unlike the rest of our days. "Time Indefinite" is both a
repository of significant moments and a timeline that charts where we
collectively stand. Users can upload stories and images, tag them, and
browse the stories and moments others have contributed.
We are launching these sites on the one year anniversary of Belanger and
Petit's 2006 Turbulence Commission, "The Saddest Thing I Own."
BIOGRAPHIES
Matthew Belanger is a New York City and Berkshire County based new media
artist, programmer, and consultant. His works include documentary video,
large-scale digital photography, interactive online applications and
software development. His complete portfolio can be seen at:
matthewbelanger.com.
Marianne R. Petit is an Associate Arts Professor at the Interactive
Telecommunications Program at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York
University. Her work can be seen at: mariannepetit.com.
For more Turbulence Spotlights, please visit http://turbulence.org/spotlight
Jo-Anne Green, Co-Director
New Radio and Performing Arts, Inc.: http://new-radio.org
New York: 917.548.7780 . Boston: 617.522.3856
Turbulence: http://turbulence.org
Networked_Performance Blog: http://turbulence.org/blog
Networked_Music_Review: http://turbulence.org/networked_music_review
Upgrade! Boston: http://turbulence.org/upgrade
New American Radio: http://somewhere.org
Turbulence Commission: "Pulse Pool" by the Symbiotic Media Group
Turbulence Commission: "Pulse Pool" by the Symbiotic Media Group
http://turbulence.org/works/PulsePool/
For the first time, two cities are connected via the human pulse. From today
through April 29th, during the Cambridge Science Festival and the Boston
Cyberarts Festival, the MUSEUM OF SCIENCE, and NEW RADIO AND PERFORMING
ARTS, Inc. present "Pulse Pool."
Place a finger to your neck or wrist. Find your pulse. How does it alter
your awareness of your body? Imagine if you could simultaneously see and
experience another person's pulse the way you feel your own.
"Pulse Pool" is a collaborative multimedia installation created by a group
of students from the Symbiotic Computer Laboratory at the University of
Oklahoma. The interconnected components of the "Pulse Pool" project explore
how access to otherwise unavailable corporal information affects human
interaction.
Wearable electronic units measure individuals' heart rates and transmit this
data to other participants through physical stimulation created by small,
vibrating motors incorporated within the devices. This allows participants
to feel the pulse of individuals who are in close proximity to them.
Additionally, a visual representation of this information is created by
droplets of water falling and making ripples in a pool. These droplets are
synchronized with live pulse and relative location data that is collected
using wireless communication and RFID positioning technology. An internet
connection and custom software allows real-time and archived transmissions
of information about the localized "Pulse Pool" community to be shared with
the global community on the World Wide Web. This makes it possible to create
interaction between "Pulse Pool" communities in remote locations.
Pulse Pool is a 2006 commission of New Radio and Performing Arts, Inc. for
its Turbulence web site. It was made possible with funds from mediaThe
Foundation. Additional funds from the Museum of Science, Boston; the
National Endowment for the Arts; Rhizome.org; and the University of Oklahoma
Symbiotic Media Center, Lester Wilkinson Chair, College of Engineering,
School of Computer Science, Symbiotic Computing Laboratory, and School of
Art.
Museum of Science, Boston:
DATES: April 23 - 29, 2007
ADMISSION: included with regular Exhibit Halls admission: $16 for adults,
$14 for seniors (60+), and $13 for children (3-11).
For more information, call 617/723-2500, (TTY) 617/589-0417, or visit
http://mos.org.
Fred Jones Museum of Art:
DATES: April 24 - 29, 2007, 10am - 5pm.
For more information, visit http://www.ou.edu/fjjma/information/index.html
Cambridge Science Festival: http://www.cambridgesciencefestival.org/
Boston Cyberarts Festival: http://bostoncyberarts.org/.
Jo-Anne Green, Co-Director
New Radio and Performing Arts, Inc.: http://new-radio.org
New York: 917.548.7780 . Boston: 617.522.3856
Turbulence: http://turbulence.org
Networked_Performance Blog: http://turbulence.org/blog
Networked_Music_Review: http://turbulence.org/networked_music_review
Upgrade! Boston: http://turbulence.org/upgrade
New American Radio: http://somewhere.org
http://turbulence.org/works/PulsePool/
For the first time, two cities are connected via the human pulse. From today
through April 29th, during the Cambridge Science Festival and the Boston
Cyberarts Festival, the MUSEUM OF SCIENCE, and NEW RADIO AND PERFORMING
ARTS, Inc. present "Pulse Pool."
Place a finger to your neck or wrist. Find your pulse. How does it alter
your awareness of your body? Imagine if you could simultaneously see and
experience another person's pulse the way you feel your own.
"Pulse Pool" is a collaborative multimedia installation created by a group
of students from the Symbiotic Computer Laboratory at the University of
Oklahoma. The interconnected components of the "Pulse Pool" project explore
how access to otherwise unavailable corporal information affects human
interaction.
Wearable electronic units measure individuals' heart rates and transmit this
data to other participants through physical stimulation created by small,
vibrating motors incorporated within the devices. This allows participants
to feel the pulse of individuals who are in close proximity to them.
Additionally, a visual representation of this information is created by
droplets of water falling and making ripples in a pool. These droplets are
synchronized with live pulse and relative location data that is collected
using wireless communication and RFID positioning technology. An internet
connection and custom software allows real-time and archived transmissions
of information about the localized "Pulse Pool" community to be shared with
the global community on the World Wide Web. This makes it possible to create
interaction between "Pulse Pool" communities in remote locations.
Pulse Pool is a 2006 commission of New Radio and Performing Arts, Inc. for
its Turbulence web site. It was made possible with funds from mediaThe
Foundation. Additional funds from the Museum of Science, Boston; the
National Endowment for the Arts; Rhizome.org; and the University of Oklahoma
Symbiotic Media Center, Lester Wilkinson Chair, College of Engineering,
School of Computer Science, Symbiotic Computing Laboratory, and School of
Art.
Museum of Science, Boston:
DATES: April 23 - 29, 2007
ADMISSION: included with regular Exhibit Halls admission: $16 for adults,
$14 for seniors (60+), and $13 for children (3-11).
For more information, call 617/723-2500, (TTY) 617/589-0417, or visit
http://mos.org.
Fred Jones Museum of Art:
DATES: April 24 - 29, 2007, 10am - 5pm.
For more information, visit http://www.ou.edu/fjjma/information/index.html
Cambridge Science Festival: http://www.cambridgesciencefestival.org/
Boston Cyberarts Festival: http://bostoncyberarts.org/.
Jo-Anne Green, Co-Director
New Radio and Performing Arts, Inc.: http://new-radio.org
New York: 917.548.7780 . Boston: 617.522.3856
Turbulence: http://turbulence.org
Networked_Performance Blog: http://turbulence.org/blog
Networked_Music_Review: http://turbulence.org/networked_music_review
Upgrade! Boston: http://turbulence.org/upgrade
New American Radio: http://somewhere.org
