Torn between two ideas: 1) Show, which is multiplayer VR experiments; 2) Room, which is a tiny cardboard room hybrid of virtual and physical interaction, thus for my mood board, I created a hybrid of graphics & tangible, pro-Show (right side, with drawings and different helmets) & pro-Room (left side, with thread, wires, bottles, wood cubes, and feedback tray) as well.
And here’s the digital collages of my two ideas under the realm of Nonsense.
[ Show ]
[ Room ]
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Before coming to ITP, I was never a person who makes things or codes. I grew up pursuing high grades, good college, and proper stable jobs, and kept my fantasy and daydreaming well within leisure time and doodling. After graduated, I’d worked as macro economic analyst for 2 years, forecasting “far to reach” numbers in the market manipulated by many big hands, and I gradually became numb and the job became just task. Thus I decided to change the life path when I still can, and desire to do something that will only end good if you pay enough efforts in it. Something is not made by talking but made by hand. Learning 3D animation was my first step, and then I was in ITP.
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Reviewed my past projects, I concluded myself a graphic person who want to do physical stuff. In the coding worlds, everything is so perfect, yet in the real world, everything is so against my will. I don’t know why I kept challenge myself with to do physical stuff even I know I’ll spend extra time on fabrication than other people. The connections of physical & physical, physical & graphics just fascinate me.
Overall, the projects can roughly summarized as
I’ve been focus on web based 3D graphic using Three.js since Spring 14′, and extended to virtual reality exploration. In Fall 14′, I fell in love with gears and kinetic movement, with blood and tears, because of Automata class.
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Thus(?) for my thesis, I’m interested in
Brain <beta version>
Brain is an automata that shows how the brain works when you think. Composed of handmade steel wires and knotted rope as pulley system. Brain functions in two ways:
1) Conscious –> Hand cranking the steel wheel to fluctuate the shells, and also rotating the wheels on the other face of brain.
2) Subconscious –> Using ultrasonic sensor to measure the distance, part of the brain will function automatically once the user is in position / wearing the helmet.
Exposing yourself & Taking in the unknown
The most exciting/weird experience of this project is the moment you stick your head into it. The motor above you starts moving; the vibration and sounds of the pulley system; the view you see through the wood cubes, knotted ropes, and steel wheels. It’s the mixture feelling of exposing yourself to undergo the vulnerability, and taking in the unknown to activate all your senses in the narrow space.
2D/paper –> 3D/physical
Inspired by renowned kinetic sculptor Arthur Ganson, I decided to use steel wire as the means for my Automata final project. Based on the photos and videos collecting from internet, I sketched out the shape first, and then tried to figure out how to bend the steel wire into wheel.
It’s a trial and error process, but thanks to magical Zoe Logan, I learned different pliers and jigs to make proper(at least better than free style) steel wheel. The whole journey is a little bit pain in the ass, but the result is satisfying. Beside boosting my stamina with heavy laboring, I’m glad the efforts somehow accumulating into something weird and terrifying looking.
I learned a lot from this transforming 2d ideas into 3d physical form process: the pros and cons of wire bending compare to the thick steel connected by welding; the limit of series connection the wheels with knotted ropes; the necessity of middleware of two big wheels to increase the tension.
gamma version
Multiple motors to fully construct the node system of brain on all the faces. Pill the paper off the acrylic sheets so it’d be totally transparent. Could have multiple hand crank nodes as well so it will become a cooperative “thinking” system.
Related posts
Concept Sketch, Process of Making.
For the class Haunted House Final, which is a real haunted house held on the floor of ITP, Jonathan, Michelle and I created “Brothers’ Room“, depicting a tragedy happened between brothers and how the lived one is haunted by the guilt and grief.
Story
Concept
Technique / Effects
–> Reflecting Pere’s emotions, the room reflects this with more intense light, sound, and walls shaking. At the climax, the man realizes he’s responsible for his brother’s death, the wall of the hidden room drops, and his brother appears in the 2-way mirror. The man sees him and cracks. Annnnd, start over!
Script
Prep / Installation
Show Time
Other Scenes
Whole Crews :D
SO. Here’s the report of my { brain } automata making process.
First, prototype with cardboard. Laser cut 11 pieces of pentagons, and stick them together with my favorite tool – duck tapes.
And endless steel wire bending.
Laser Cut transparent 3/16″ acrylic and build into dodecahedron with hinges and machine screws.
And mount the motor my pulley system!
Things all sound easy but there are actually lot of painful struggling –>
SO. I’m really concerned about the possibility of finishing it before Final…. but whatever, I’ll keep working on it :DDDDD
For the 3rd Stupid Shit No One Needs And Terrible Ideas Hackathon, I made three fonts:
Here to download the package and it’s of course free to use!
The idea for each one is:
“Nail hammering, finger nail pulling, brain stirring, body spinning.
What do you feel watching those shadows thriving darkly?”
A hand-crank automata with Cam & Followers system.
Refined version of this.
