Virtual Choir 2.0 "Sleep": 2052 People, 58 Countries, Global Collaboration

This is an interesting way of collaborating on the Web!


For more information:   The Virtual Choir








Eric Whitacre's TED Talk:  A virtual choir 2,000 voices strong

Immersive Cocoon Interaction: "It's people who are now the interface" (Updated, with videos, photos, links.)

"It's people who are now the interface." -Ole Bowman, cultural and architectural historian


I found the above quote from the Immersive Cocoon website and smiled.


When I first learned about the Immersive Cocoon in 2008, I thought it was just another technological fancy that probably would not come to market anytime soon.  Although it still is in the concept stage, I think it has a chance of making it, given the rapid advances in interactive technology over the past few years.

It wouldn't surprise me to see i-Cocoons finding a place in libraries, educational settings, museums, and other public spaces within the next 5-8 years, given an economic turnaround.


What is the Immersive Cocoon?
"The Immersive Cocoon is a future concept study by Tino Schaedler with design collective NAU; an idea to push the envelope and provoke a new conception of interface technology...Directed and 3D CG by Oliver Zeller. More info, behind the scenes and full credits at i-cocoon.com." -adNAU"


What is inside the cocoon?



Photo: arch.nau.coop

Photo: arch.nau.coop
Teaser Video:

Immersive Cocoon "2011" | 1080HD from adNAU on Vimeo.

"Please play fullscreen and LOUD! ...This spec teaser reveals an evolution in computing interaction, within a setting inspired by the penultimate scene from Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey...Starring that film's lead actor, Keir Dullea; "2011" was developed over a two year period. Live action was filmed multi-camera, against green screen atop a backlit plexi floor on a shoestring budget. Mr. Dullea was then integrated into an entirely digitally created CG set rendered at 1080HD."

Here are some previous videos about the iCocoon concept:

RELATED
Immersive Cocoon Concept Website
Designers developing virtual-reality 'Cocoon'
Mark Tutton, 9/12/08, Telepresence Options /Human Productivity Lab
Immersive Cocoon-Facebook
"NAU is an international, multidisciplinary design firm, spanning the spectrum from architecture and interior design to exhibitions and interactive interfaces. As futurists creating both visual design and constructed projects, NAU melds the precision of experienced builders with the imagination and attention to detail required to create innovative exhibits, public events and architecture."
FYI:
Concerning interactive technology, things have changed a bit in my corner of the world - as I write this post, there is a Kinect beckoning me to dance in my bonus room. The Kinect was something that came to market much sooner than I expected.  I'll have an iPad2 sometime in the near future- another example of how rapidly things are evolving.   I skim the news by touch/swiping my now-outdated HTC Incredible.  My 88-year-old aunt, has used Skype more than once to "chat" with her baby great-nephew across the miles.


I use a Wii at work at least once a week to support social interaction skills with some students who have moderate-to-severe autism. Every classroom in the main school I serve has a huge, immersive, interactive whiteboard that relies on touch and kinesthetic interaction-my colleagues can't imagine going back to teaching without them.  

Interview with Don "Design of Everyday Things" Norman on Design Education: STEM+D+Social Sciences, Too! (MIT Technology Review)

The Problem with Design Education

David Talbot, MIT Technology Review, 4/6/11

"I think that the current emphasis on STEM—science, technology, engineering, and math—needs a "D," for design. Designers need to learn STEM (where S includes both the hard and the soft, social sciences). But similarly, engineers need to learn D: after all, the point of engineering is to develop things for people and society."-Don Norman


"...the creators of good products and services also must have a working knowledge of everything from the technical underpinnings of microprocessors and programming to the policy aspects of information security."  -Don Norman


RELATED
Some of my previous posts mentioning Don Norman and his work:
Words of Wisdom from Harry Brignull: UX Roots in Psychology, Design, Information Architecture, and so much more!
Essential Interaction Design Essays and Articles: Dan Saffer's Lists, Don Norman, and Interactions Magazine
Don Norman's Keynote at the 21st Century Transmedia Symposium "Design Challenge:  Co-creation" (New technologies allow creativity to blossom)
The Transdisciplinary Design Approach to Building an Interfaced World: A smattering ofideas, food for further thought.
Dr. Jan Borchers' (Annotated) Top Ten List of Books on Human-Computer Interaction -Of interest to HCI students and HCI students-at-heart.

SOMEWHAT RELATED
The following post generated a good deal of unexpected discussion ; )
For a Smile:  Gain Detergent Container Looks Like Don Norman's User-Unfriendly Teapot

Below is my final response to the conversation:
The UX of Laundry Washing:  Response to Comments and Videos of Gain Detergent Fans!

Keeping up with Facebook complexity

Need I say more?

"Playful Interface Cultures" exhibit video showreel, just released (Ars Electronica Festival 2010)

Playful Interface Cultures from Interface Culture on Vimeo.


"This video showreel provides a walkthrough through the "Playful Interface Cultures" exhibition at the Ars Electronica Festival 2010. The works shown were created within the Master and Ph.D. program at the Interface Culture Lab, University of Art and Industrial Design in Linz, Austria." http://www.interface.ufg.ac.at/​

"The exhibition design has been based on traditional Austrian tobacco brands in reference to the historic venue of the former tobacco factory built by the German designer and architect Peter Behrens." -Interface Culture Lab


Instructors:
Georg Russegger
Martin Kaltenbrunner
Michaela Ortner
Varvara Guljajeva
Design
Vesela Milhaylova
Henning Schulze
Production
Reinhard Gupfinger
Technical Support
Mar Canet
Anika Hirt

University of Art and Industrial Design, Linz


SOMEWHAT RELATED
TuioKinect, by Martin Kaltenbrunner: "A simple Tuio hand gesture tracker for Kinect"
Reactable 

mtBAR Multi-touch Bar Video (Aaron Bitler); Physical Vision, a Kinect Alternative Video (Jonathan Brill); DARPA's 3D Glassless Urban Photonic Sandtray

Here are a few interesting videos and links:


The mtBAR Comes Alive!
Aaron Bitler, 3/28/11


Physical Vision, The Alternative to Kinect
Jonathan Brill, Physical Vision, 2/26/11

DARPA's Urban Photonic Sandtray enables 3D battlefield planning without glasses

Tim Stevens, 3/28/11, Engadget

"It's a DARPA project, a fully holographic table (no glasses required) that can be scaled up to six feet diagonally and allows visual depth of up to 12-inches. The technology comes courtesy of Zebra Imaging, which earlier wowed us with some insane 3D printouts, and the data will come from LIDAR systems like this ROAMS bot." -Tim Stevens

-Photo from Vizworld

Weekly Belated Linkfest
Rouli, Games Alfresco, 4/4/11


So much to share, so little time!