Rock the World Interaction with Guitars at Discovery Place, Charlotte!

Interactivity, Hands-on Fun!

I recently visited Discovery Place, Charlotte with my 4 1/2 year-old grandson. Discovery places is one of his favorite museums because he loves the interactive exhibits.  I have a family pass, so he knows that if there is a special exhibit coming up, he'll be sure to go.

The special exhibit, "Guitar: The Instrument that Rocked the World", runs from May 30, 2015 through September 7, 2015.  It is part of a touring exhibition of the National GUITAR museum.  

One of the first thing that caught my grandson's attention was an interactive display created by [i]cell Interactive.  The display provides an easy way to select a guitar, listen to the music it produces, and learn more about the guitar.  It was built into a tour road case for the exhibit, which was appealing, consistent with the exhibit's "road tour" theme.  The following clip shows my grandson's initial reaction when he came across the display:

There were loads of schoolchildren at the exhibit, so we couldn't get the full experience.  We will be visiting it soon when it is less crowded, and I will follow up with a related post.

RELATED
Discovery Place Museum: The Instrument that Rocked the World
The Instrument that Rocked the World is About To Rock Charlotte
National Guitar Museum
[i] Cell Interactive

SOMEWHAT RELATED
Hard Rock Cafe Interactive Memorabilia Website

Vodafone's "Firsts" Campaign: 2 Grandmas take their first flight; Neil Harbisson's Color Conducted Concert

Vodafone, a telecommunications company, was off of my radar until an endearing video crossed my path on Facebook today.  Vodafone Firsts is part of a global brand program, led by social media, that aims to inspire people to do things for the very first time. Vodafone's strategy seems to be working.

In the following video, An and Ria, two elderly women, take their very first plane trip together to Barcelona.  It is well worth taking 10 minutes to watch it!   The video also does a good job of showing how the women approach using newer technologies, such as a tablet/video phone -- and a VR flight simulator to prepare for the flight.

An & Ria's First Flight  



In the following video, Neil Harbisson uses technology to create a concert that is based on the transformation of color into music. The interesting thing is that Neil is color-blind and has a "cyborg" apparatus that interprets colors for him by converting them into music/sounds. Vodafone provided him with an amazing creative opportunity.  

For more videos and behind-the-scenes information, see the full story on the Vodafone Firsts site, and also the TED Talk video on this post.

Neil Harbisson's First Color Conducted Concert Trailer


Neil Harbisson's TED Talk:  I listen to color

RELATED
Vodafone Firsts
Vodafone Corporate Site

Vodafone Americas Foundation:  "Mobile for Good"
Vodafone's 2013 Wireless Innovation Project's competition winners pushed the envelope to create new ways of using mobile technology and sensors for health and environmental monitoring.
ColdTrace: Wireless Vaccine Monitoring
MoboSens: Mobile Water Sensor
G-Frensel Cellphone Spectrometer (optical spectroscopy)

MindHabits' Happy Games Paired with Pharrell William's "Happy" Music!

We all could use more smiling people and happy music!

If you are looking for a short burst of happiness, try playing the free MindHabits demo games. I recommend the Matrix Trainer for starters. You can uncheck the "email" box if you don't want to sign up for the newsletter.

The games have upbeat music playing in the background, but you can listen to your own music. In the Matrix game, the objective is to tap as many happy faces that you can find, out of a number of frowny or sad faces.   The research shows that this is an effective way of reducing stress.  I have used the on-line version for years with students who have autism, and it is a fun and effective way of "training" them to focus on facial features and expressions.

The desktop version of the suite of games is just under $20.00, and is available for Windows and Macs.   The desktop version tracks data and and allows users to customize the games with their own photos.   

I am about to explore MindHabit's new mobile apps: Psych Me Up PRO! and Happy Cat! 

If you work with young people - special needs or otherwise, try playing the on-line demo with Pharrell William's "Happy" song in the background (see music video embedded below). 

 This is something that wouldn't hurt to try at home!  

You are playing the MindHabits Trainer online demo. Your progress will not be logged beyond this session. Copyright © 2008 MindHabits inc. inc l rights Reserved.

Note: 
I am sharing information about MindHabits because I have been following this company since 2005, when Dr. Mark Baldwin, the lead creator of the suite of games, gave a presentation.   Dr. Baldwin is a psychology professor at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. He has devoted his career to the study of social intelligence, and more recently, how technology can help people reduce stress, build self-confidence, and development, and maintain positive states of mind.



According to the MindHabits website, the Psych Me Up Pro!   ($.99) and PsychMeUp! (free) mobile apps were developed to help people focus attention on positive social feedback. A quiz is included with the application, as well as information about the research that supports the use of the games.  The "pro" version has more options.

The children's version of PsychMeUp! is Happy Cat.  The objective is to find the happy cats and ignore the grumpy cats.  The smiling cat will meow.

HOW MINDHABITS WORKS

RELATED

MindHabits Game Tips

MindHabits FAQ

MindHabits Update
Lynn Marentette, Interactive Multimedia Technology, 2/24/08

McEwan, K., Gilbert, P., Dandeneau, S., Lipka, S., Maratos, F., Paterson, K.B., Baldwin, M. (2014) Facial Expressions Depicting Compassionate and Critical Emotions: The Development and Validation of a New Emotional Face Stimulus Set. PLOS One DOI: 10.1317/journal.pone.0088783

Dandeneau, S. D., Baldwin, M. W. (2009) The buffering effects of rejection-inhibiting training against social and performance threats in adult students. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 34, 42-50

Stephane D. Dandeneau, Mark W. Baldwin, Jodene R. Baccus, and Maya Sakellaropoulo, Jens C. Pruessner (2007), Cutting Stress Off at the Pass: Reducing Vigilance and Responsiveness to Social Threat by Manipulation of Attention (pdf) Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2007, Vol. 93, No. 4, 651–666 American Psychological Association 0022-3514/07/$12.00 DOI: 10.1037/0022-3514.93.4.651

It is in our DNA: Chromosome Painting, DNA Music

I hadn't planned on testing my DNA, but on a whim, I ordered a kit from Ancestry.com.  I downloaded the raw data file of my DNA, thinking that it would be nice to play with some day, and then learned about a free online resource, Gedmatch, that would make it easy to upload my raw DNA file and go exploring.  I'm happy that I did, since the FDA is trying to stop personal genome testing. At the time of this post, Ancestry.com and Family Tree DNA were not impacted by this effort. 23andMe was the target, because the company provides customers with information about health risks and possible genetic conditions.

The picture below is segment of a screenshot of the results of chromosome painting, created using the Ad-Mix utilities and "Davidski's" Eurogenes K13 model.  Each color represents a different group of my ancestors, and each chromosome has a different mix. 

I knew I'd get some very colorful results, given the fact that my ancestors came from all over the planet!  

Although I like the interplay of color an pattern of my of my DNA Ad-Mixture results, and think the above section would make a great piece of modern art, I learned this morning about that there is a company, DNA11 that creates personalized DNA art that is suitable for displaying in homes - or offices. DNA 11 was featured in my local paper this morning, recommended DNA art as a great holiday gift for science buffs.

Credit:  DNAll http:www.dna11.com/images-gallery

DNA MUSIC
Looking at picture of my painted chromosomes, I was reminded of waveforms, and remembered reading something about DNA music. After a quick search, I came across the Your DNA Song website. Your DNA Song is a company that provides customers with a DNA testing kit , using a sample of saliva, that is processed by a lab, and then bio-sequenced to generate music.  To hear it, take a look at the video - a nice rendition of Chromosome #1, by Stuart Mitchell.

Be forewarned. The Your DNA Song website suggests that the protein translation of your DNA, set to music tuned to 432 Hz, has healing powers.  Yes, it sounds very New Age, but there is a story behind it.  Composers of classical music used this tuning, but in 1939, the standards were changed to A=440 Hz. There is an interesting story behind the change, and a controversy still exists. 

If you don't want to shell out money to hear your personal DNA patterns sing, you might like the DyNAMixers on the Your DNA Song website.  Created by the musician Stuart Mitchell, the mixers provide a nice way of experimenting and remixing music based on DNA and proteins.  The screenshot below gives you an idea of what you'll find if you play with the DyNAMixers on the site

Credit: Your DNA Song http:yourdnasong.com/music_samples.htm

RELATED
F.D.A. Orders Genetic Testing Firm to Stop Selling DNA Analysis Service
Andrew Pollack, New York Times, 11/25/13
AncestryDNA Test
23andMe
Family Tree DNA
GEDMATCH
openSNP
Eurogenes Genetic Ancestry Project;  Eurogenes Blog
Davidski Polako
Ondrizek's Chromosome Painting...and our beautiful DNA
Tina Hoggat, 4Culture Blog, 7/2/12
Gifts for the wcience whiz
DNA11
DNA11 Images Gallery
Go Inside The World's First LAb That Turns DNA Into Custom Art
Dina Spector, Business Insider, 6/12/13
Gedmatch: a DNA geek's dream site
Judy G. Russell, The Legal Genealogist, 8/12/12

Your DNA Song

Your DNA Is a Song: Scientists Use Music to Code Proteins

John Roach, National Geographic News, 10/21/05

Symphony of life: making music out of the human genome

Michael Zev Gordon, The Guardian, 6/24/10

Proportion in Musical Scales (Sacred Geometry website)
Return of the 432hz: Mozart/Cold Play/Radiohead/The Doors
AltoEgo Blog 7/16/13  (scroll down for examples of familiar music in 432 Hz)

Support@DNA11.com

ACO VIRTUAL: Interactive virtual chamber orchestra, with 3D musicians

The Australian Chamber Orchestra has unveiled ACO VIRTUAL, an installation that provides music-lovers the opportunity to experience what it is like to be surrounded by thirteen performing musicians, with the opportunity to control what you choose what is heard. The installation was created in collaboration with Mod Productions, an interactive multimedia company.

This promises to become a fantastic music education and performance tool!  To get a better understanding of ACO VIRTUAL, view the following video clips:

ACO VIRTUAL Trailer


"Each instrumentalist was filmed at Fox Studios, ACO artistic director and lead violin Richard Tognetti said, using the same "bullet-time" camera equipment used to shoot The Matrix, in both 2D and 3D. Visitors can enjoy the full stereoscopic experience with provided 3D glasses." -CNET

ACO Virtual Launch of Touring Installation

ACO VIRTUAL launch at MCA from Mod Productions on Vimeo.


CNET Interview: Building an Interactive Virtual Chamber Orchestra



How they did it:

The experience is controlled by a touch-pad app:

Credit: Will Huxley, ACO VIRTUAL

RELATED
Building an Interactive Virtual Chamber OrchestraAustralian Chamber Orchestra
Michelle Starr, CNET Australia, 9/26/13

ACO VIRTUAL

Mod Productions

Mod Productions Blog

Mod Productions ACO VIRTUAL

ACO VIRTUAL:  Play With the Band (pdf)

(Information for exhibitors)

ACO VIRTUAL iPhone App

Astronaut Chris Hadfield's Awesome Music Video from Space - in case you missed it!

Amazing Music from Space

I finally got around to watching Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield's wonderful remake of David Bowie's Space Oddity, created on the International Space Station.  Hadfield makes the music his his own, changing a few words, to share his experience with the world.  

I was impressed with the quality of this video, from the editing to the sound mix.  



Chris Hadfield spent the last several months in space, and during this time, he connected with thousands of people, young and old, around the globe.  Although he is now known for his space music video,  many school children learned before his video went viral. His tweets, pictures, and video clips from space were followed by students in classrooms around the world.  (See "Related" section at the bottom of this post for links to related information about Chris Hadfield.)


I really liked the images from the video. Below are screen shots of some of my favorite scenes:

:49 Chris Hadfield looking out towards Earth and space

1:12 Guitar floating in space station

2:31 Chris Hadfield playing guitar

2:41 View of Earth and clouds from space

2:47 View of Earth at night

4:10 View of earth and darkness of space from window

RELATED

Chris Hadfield Twitter

Chris Hadfields Google+ Page

Chris Hadfield's Facebook Page

Biography of Chris Hadfield, Canadian Space Agency

5 things Chris Hadfield did that amazed us

John Bowman, CBCNews Your Community Blog, 5/14/13

How Chris Hadfield Made Us Care About Astronauts Again

Kyle Wagner, Gizmodo, 5/13/13

Interactive MaKey MaKey: "An Invention Kit for Everyone" - Video Preview!

Interactive Invention:  MaKey Makey for All

MaKey MaKey is a hands-on "maker" kit created by Jay Silver and Eric Rosenbaum of MIT, based on research from the MIT Media Lab's Lifelong Kindergarten. 

After watching the lively video today,  I ordered my very own kit!


MaKey MaKey - An Invention Kit for Everyone from jay silver on Vimeo.

How does MaKey MaKey work?  It is powered by a board that can support 6 keyboard keys, and mouse control.  It runs on top of Arduino, an open-source electronics prototyping platform that supports multi-modal interactive input and output.  

I see endless possibilities and fun maker-crafting with my little grandson!


In the following video, musician/visual artist j.viewz uses his MaKey MaKey kit to hook up fruits and veggies to his music system.  

Watch j.viewz play a bunch of grapes!  The strawberries sound nice. 

j.viewz playing Teardrop with vegetables from j.viewz on Vimeo.


RELATED
MaKey MaKey Lifelong Kindergarten
Arduino
Phidgets
How to Start Making Your Own Electronics with Arduino and Other People's Code
Thorin Klosowski, Lifehacker, 1/12/12

Leap Motion: My Dev Kit Arrived - Now What?! Thoughts About "NUI" Child-Computer-Tech-Interaction - and More

My Leap Motion developer kit arrived last week. I carefully unboxed the small device and tried out the demo apps that came with the SDK.  I'm doing more looking than leaping at this point.

I'd like to create a simple cause-and-effect music, art and movement application for my 2-year-old grandson, knowing that he'll be turning three near the end of this year.  It would be nice if my app could provide young children with enough scaffolding to support gameplay and learning over a few years of development.

Now that I'm a grandmother, I've spent some time thinking about what the evolution of NUI will mean for young children like my grandson.   Family and friends captured his first moments after birth with iPhones, and shared across the Internet.  Born into the iWorld, he knows how to use an iPad or smart phone to view his earlier digital self on YouTube, without ever touching a mouse or a physical keyboard.

The little guy is pretty creative in his method of interacting with technology, as I've informally documented on video.   He was seven months old when he first encountered my first iPad.  It was fingers-and-toes interaction from the start.  

In the first picture below,  he's playing with NodeBeat.  In the second picture, he's 27 months old, experimenting with hand and foot interaction, on a variety of apps.

My grandson is new to motion control applications, so I'm just beginning to learn what he likes,  and what he is capable of doing.  A couple of weeks ago, we played River Rush, from the Kinect Adventures game. He loved jumping up and down as he tried to hit the adventure pins. Most of the time, he kept jumping right out of the raft!  (I think next time we'll try Kinect Sesame Street TV, or revisit Kinectimals.)  


One of the steps I'm taking to prepare for my Leap Motion adventure is take a look at what people have done with it so far.  There are at least 12,000 developer kits released, so hopefully there will be some interesting apps to go along with the retail version of Leap Motion when it is released at Best Buy on May 19th of this year.

One app I really like is  Adam Somer's AirHarp, featured in the video clip below:


I also like the idea behing the following app, developed by undergraduate students:

Social Sign: Multi-User sign language gesture translator using the Leap Motion Controller (git.to/socialSign)
 
"Built at the PennApps Spring 2013 hackathon, Social Sign is a friendly tool for learning sign language! By using the Leap Motion device, the BadApples team implemented a rudimentary machine learning algorithm to track and identify American Sign Language from a user's hand gestures."

"Social Sign visualizes these hand gestures and broadcasts them in textual and visual representations to other signers in a signing room. In a standard chat room fashion, the interface permits written communication but with the benefit of enhanced learning in mind. It's all about learning a new way to communicate."-BadApples Team

There are a few NUI-focused tech companies that have experimented with Leap Motion. Today, I received a link to the following videoclip Joanna Taccone, of Intuilab, featuring their most recent work:
Gesture recognition with Leap Motion using IntuiFace Presentation

"Preview of our work with the Leap Motion controller. In the same spirit as our support for Microsoft Kinect, we have encoded true gesture support, not just mouse emulation, for the creation of interactive applications by non-programmers. The goal is to hide complexity from designers using our product, IntuiFace Presentation (IP). Through the use of IP's trigger/action syntax, designers simply select a gesture as a trigger - Swipe Left, Swipe Right, Point, etc. - and associate that gesture with an action like "turn the page" or "rotate the carousel". As you can see in this video, it works quite well. :-) We will offer Leap support as soon as it ships." -IntuiLab



Below is a demonstration of guys playing Drop Cord, a collaboration between Leap Motion and Double Fine.  From the video, you can tell that they had a blast!  

Here is an excerpt from the chatter:  "The thing is that everyone just looks cool..Yeah, I know, it doesn't matter what you are doing...it's got the right amount of speed-up-slow-down stutter-y stuff...it is like a blend of art and science.."

According to the website, Drop Chord is a "A music-driven score challenge game for the Leap Motion controller, coming soon for PC, Mac, & IOS from the creators of Kinect Party.."  

The following video is a demonstration of the use of Leap Motion to control an avatar and other interaction in Second Life:

Below are a few more videos featuring Leap Motion:


Control Your Computer With a Chopstick: Leap Motion Hands On (Mashable)


The Leap Motion Experience at SXSW 2013


LEAP Motion demo: Visualizer, Windows 8, Fruit Ninja, and More...



RELATED
Air Harp for Leap Motion, Responsive Interaction
Leap Motion and Double Fine team on Dropchord, give air guitar skills an outlet
John Fingas, Engadget, 3/7/13
Leap Motion Controller Set To Ship May 13 for Global Pre-Orders, In Best Buy Stores May 19.
Hands on With Leap Motion's Controller
Lance Ulanoff, Mashable, 3/10/13
Leap Motion website
Social Sign
IntuiLab
Leap Motion: Low Cost Gesture Control for Your Computer Display

SOMEWHAT RELATED
Kinect for Windows Academic: Kaplan Early Learning
"3 years & up. Hands-on play with a purpose -- the next generation way. This unique learning tool uses your body as the game controller making it a great opportunity to combine active play and learning all in one. Use any surface to actively engage kinesthetic, visual, and audio learners. Bundle includes the following software: Word Pop, Directions, Patterns, and Shapes."

Comment:
I've been an enthusiastic supporter of natural-user interfaces and interaction for years - back in 2007 I worked on touch-screen applications for large displays as a graduate student, and became an early member of the NUI group.  I'm also a school psychologist, and from my experience, I understand how NUI-based applications and technologies, such as interactive whiteboards and touch-tablets, such as the iPad can support the learning, communication, and leisure needs of students who have significant special needs.   It looks like Leap Motion and similar technologies have the potential to support a wide range of applications that target special populations, of all ages.

AirHarp for Leap Motion, a Responsive Musical Natural User Interface

I like this demonstration of Adam Somers  AirHarp music application for use with the Leap Motion 3D controller:


AirHarp is being developed in C++ using Adam Somer's audio processing toolkit, MusKit.  This looks interesting!  Things have changes since I last took a computer music technology course (back in 2003).

Adam Somers is a senior software engineer at Universal Audio.  He has a graduate degree in music technology from Stanford, and a background in computer science, electronics, human-computer interaction, and signal processing.

Leap Motion is a motion-control software and hardware start-up company located in San Francisco, California. According to promotional information from the website, the company's first product, the Leap Motion controller, is 200 times more sensitive than existing technologies.  It will be interesting to see how this plays out.  (I'm still waiting for my pre-order.)

RELATED
AirHarp (links to GitHub)
Leap FAQs
Leap Motion Website
Leap Motion Developer Portal
Leap Motion Leadership Team
Leap Motion goes retail: Motion controller sold exclusively at Best Buy
Michael Gorman, engadget, 1/16/13

Leap Motion: Low Cost Gesture Control for your Computer Display
Asus partners up with Leap Motion, PCs with 3D motion control to debut in 2013
Michael Gorman, engadget, 1/3/13
Stanford Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics

This Exquisite Forest: Join this massive online, creative, interactive, participatory, collaborative narrative animation project, by Chris Milk and Aaron Koblin

"Right here, in your web browser, you may contribute to anyone's creation and steer it in any direction you choose, or start a story of your own, by creating a seed animation for a new tree. Our hope is through the collective creativity of the web, an ever-expanding forest of narrative paths will grow." -Chris Milk/Aaron Koblin

This Exquisite Forest is a collaborative art project by Chris Milk and Aaron Koblin, creators of the online Johnny Cash collaborative project. The Johnny Cash Project was a crowd-sourced music video for Johnny Cash's final album (see below).

What I like about this project is that it provides viewers with the opportunity to create animations that link with those of other people, online.  All of the tools to create animations and music are on the website, along with  clear instructions and FAQs.  You can even curate your own tree.

For those who take a less participatory approach to art, the project's website offers something called "The Endless Theater", where viewers can watch the most popular branches of This Exquisite Forest.



The project makes use of Google's App Engine. Google's Cloud Storage handles the accounts and data storage.   To access the project, you need Google's Chrome browser, as the project takes advantage of JavaScript and HTML5.

RELATED 

This Exquisite Forest Project

The Making of This Exquisite Forest

Catching up on music technology: Tornado Twins' "How to Make Dubstep in 10 Minutes"

I've been neglecting my musical experiments for too long.  My Yamaha Motif 8 is about 9 years old, and my last copy of MOTU Digital Performer is on a computer that died in 2007 or so.  In the past, I found that immersing myself in wave forms and playing around with sound synthesis was quite relaxing.  I miss it.

Since I'm not a performing musician, I told myself not to trouble with researching electronic keyboard/workstations and fancy software. The practical thing to do is to stick with Garage Band to give life to the musical ideas that pop into my head.  I've played with music-making on my iPhone and iPad, hoping it would dampen my electronic music urge, but wasn't quite right.


What to do?  I still am not sure what I will do.  However, a link from a tweet by the Tornado Twins caught my eye today.  It led me to a short video that put me back into the music-creating groove.  Even if you aren't into music technology or electronic music, you might enjoy the opportunity to view musical creation visualized in the video, and appreciate the enthusiasm of the twin.


HOW TO MAKE DUBSTEP IN 10 MINUTES (Using the Dubstep Master Kit)

RELATED 
Tornado Twins Dubstep Master Kit
MOTU Digital Performer
Tornado Twins (The Tornado Twins are involved in music as well as video game development.)


SOMEWHAT RELATED

Comment: 
I plan to devote periodic posts to music technology in the future a bit more frequently than in the past.  It is a topic that is dear to my heart.
A little "history":
In the early 1990's, I bought an Ensonic KS-32 weighted-action keyboard.  I was exasperated by the 250-page manual that came with my keyboard. It was time to upgrade the computer, so I got a Mac Performa 600 CD, and purchased the very first version of MOTU's FreeStyle software to ease the music creation process.  I have been pleased with all of my MOTU products over the years, as well as the excellent tech support. 

MOTU Freestyle Sequencing Software (review)
Mike Collins, Sound on Sound, 1995

A fun HTML5 interactive music video: Evelyn, performed by ABBY, coded by Bleech

ABBY's recent music  video, Evelyn, was created in HTML5 to support an interactive experience. As the band plays, you can select one of three paths for each musician, and switch them around in real-time to see what unfolds. The interactive version of the video can be found at http://evelyn-interactive.searchingforabby.com/ 


Steffen Bewersdorff and Dominik Tranklein are the developers who created the video. Their web agency, Bleech, based in Berlin, Germany, focuses on providing innovative services to music and media industry clients.  (More information about the nuts and bolts of the development process can be found in a post on the Web Designer Depot site:  "An awesome HTML5 interactive music video".)


Note:  The interactive musical video performance requires a fast computer. You'll need a browser that has extended HTML5 support, such as a Safari browser if you have a Mac, or a Chrome browser if you are using Windows. Be sure to close your running applications, and enjoy creating/playing with the band! 


Below is the non-interactive version of the video, which provides a walk-through of one possible interactive musical experience:
 

UPDATE:  I used this interactive video, displayed on a SMARTBoard, with students who have special needs, in several classrooms, and it was a great hit.  They especially liked the drummer.  For some reason, we couldn't get the fifth section to show a musician.  The students didn't mind.

RELATED/SOMEWHAT RELATED
The Wilderness Downtown (Arcade Fire, Chris Milk)
OK Go's Interactive HTML5 Music/Dance/Message Video, Featuring Pilobolus
ROME: "3 Dreams of Black" An Interactive Film by Chris Milk, Music by Danger Mouse, Daniele Luppi & Norah Jones
ROME: "3 Dreams of Black" The Technology
Creating Responsive HTML5 Touch Interfaces (Stephen Woods)
Popcornjs.org (open source HTML5 media framework)

Web goes pop: HTML5 is rejuvenating music videos online
Madhumita Venkataramanan, Wired UK
Behind the Scenes: The Interactive Music Video Game built in HTML5 (MSDN - includes link to code samples, including a frame code reader to sync video and interactive elements.)

URBAN MUSICAL GAME: Play with musical-sensor sports balls and friends (Real-Time Musical Interactions team at IRCAM)

One of my favorite things at CHI 2012 was the Interactivity sessions.  I especially liked the  Urban Musical Game, played with musical sports balls.  I didn't want to stop playing!


This just might transform P.E. and recess.


Below is a version of the game from 2011 created for the Future en Seine festival by the Real-Time Musical Interaction team at the IRCAM, in collaboration with NoDesign, Phonotonic, and composer Andrea Cera:

The balls in the game contain wireless sensors, which trigger sounds and interactive music.  It is supported by MO  (Modular Musical Object) technology, and Max/MSP. Below is a video of the balls in action (in French).

Nicolas Rasamimanana - Phonotonic, Paris, France 
Frederic Bevilacqua - IRCAM, France 
Julien Bloit - IRCAM, France Norbert Schnell - IRCAM, France 
Emmanuel Flety - IRCAM, France Andrea Cera - IRCAM, France 
Uros Petrevski - NoDesign, France 
Jean-Louis Frechin - NoDesign, France


Comment:
This would be a great activity for the large therapy room at Wolfe, a program for students with significant disabilities (including autism), where I spend most of my work days as a school psychologist.  I'd love to have it demonstrated in-person for students at the CATA (Central Academy of Technology & Arts), the high school I also serve, to inspire students about the creative aspects of technology.


I would also like to create my experiments with this sort of technology, based on a number of interesting ideas that have popped up in my mind over the past decade or so.  I'm especially curious to know how this could work in environments that also have multiple large interactive visual displays....


How can I make it so?
(Update:  It is a small world.  I looked up one of the people involved in the Urban Musical Game on Facebook and found that we share three mutual FB "friends".)