Video Surveillance

I enjoyed the way Steve Mann tackled the problem of being forcefully recorded and monitored in stores. How we become more physically reliant on our electronic devices. It is interesting to see how wearable computing can be used in a variety of purposes.

Reflecting about the body and how it can be used in ways un-thought of is becoming a more daunting task everyday. Just thinking about my projects alone is a wonder how designers, researchers, artists, engineers develop their concepts/ideas. What is my purpose?

Final Project Ideas

I would like to continue to work on a performance piece that will assist in the aspects of stepping. My idea is to create a suit that will record the stepping sequence from a series of touch sensors and wirelessly transmit this data to a computer. This suit will have the capabilities to record step sequences for the step master to remember to then be able to teach a team the newly created beats and rhythms, without having to stop and record every couple of steps. The suit could also be used in a performance to broadcast, based on the rhythm, a visual display from the sensor responses (sort of like the visualization in music players).

I plan to utilize zigbee radios for the wireless transmission of data within the suit. Some sort of touch sensors will be used to transmit hits from the various parts of the body. I have located approximately 20 various parts around the body that will incorporate the touch sensors. Some research has proven that there are various sensors that are potentially effective in this sort of design. MIT media lab has done many studies on interactive dance events with cheap sensors that can be given to everyone in the crowd to participate. I would like to investigate the use of piezo sensors in the construction of my suit. Conductive fabric will be the bond between the sensors to create the soft circuit.

Finally, I am creating this device out of my passion for stepping, and creatively finding new ways to express this art form. Many of my friends and associates continually perform and could find use for this sort of wearable device. This could also become utilized in other realms of performance, such as dance, deejaying, free-styling, singing, spoken word, etc. Old prototype: http://itp.nyu.edu/~anr249

*Step suit

- http://itp.nyu.edu/~raf275/blog/archives/2006/12/xbee_direct_io.html

- http://www.zigbee.org/en/certification/certified_products.asp

- http://www.media.mit.edu/resenv/GiveawaySensors/index.html

- record hits

- transmit data to be able to play beat back (rate of pulse/hits)

- Piezoelectric transducers

- http://www.uttermatter.com/sleeev/

- http://www.eleksen.com/?page=products/sen_index.asp

*Water

*Bra brand

- add extra cleavage

- add powder when moisture is detected

- nipple shield when excited at inopportune moments

Dress Codes, E-broidery & Assignment 2

In the article Dress Codes, I found much of the research interesting. The certain way of dress that associates to self-restraint is surprisingly true. Where wearing a tie "pulls everything together" and a certain dress code helps employees exercise a certain restraint becomes familiar to me when thinking about previous jobs in the corporate workplace. I liked the idea of props that people use to enhance their self image and the associated behaviors that come with them. In this article the statement that mostly summarizes it is: "The most obvious means by which individuals show their acceptance of a social role and their awareness of the demands of the social situation is through their appearance."

The e-broidery publication was particularly important in my thought process of the design of assignment 2. Learning of the methods they used in exploring different types of conductive material was helpful in the creation of my hat (as was self trial and error). I like the musical jacket and how precise the stitching was held together in the keypad. The main concept I'd like to grasp from this article was the way in which each project they created had to be able to withstand numerous washes, and all in all become a regular piece of clothing in the individuals everyday wardrobe.

Here are a few pictures from my creation of the fan hat, which is a hat that is able to cool down a hot head while at the same time cool off those around you.