How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love the Blog

Explorations in art and technology by Cameron Cundiff

How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love the Blog header image 4

It’s just art… Honestly

September 6th, 2009 by cameron
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My wife Kate has started a blog  – Honestly Art – to promote “accessible artwork”. She has recently showcased Nahcotta Gallery’s Enormous Tiny Art show, as well as a handful of individual artists. She’s also creating a gallery/artist database for browsing.

I’m enjoying getting the tech side established:

  • WordPress Blog – plugins, themes, hacks
  • Google analytics
  • Complementary sites – Flickr, Facebook, Twitter (soon)
  • SEO – linking the url from profiles on a myriad of social networks

It’s a daring move to go from management consulting to the art world/blogosphere, and very exciting. The fruits of her labors are beginning to show, and there’s been some great feedback. Looks promising!

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BeeMe: “Best Product Concept” at Microsoft Design Expo ’09

July 16th, 2009 by cameron
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BeeMe was awarded Best Product Concept at Microsoft Design Expo ’09, with excellent feedback and interest from the judges, participants, and audience. Thanks to everyone at Microsoft Research for making it happen, to Nancy Hechinger and the Design Expo class, an the other schools: Dundee IMD from Scotland, CMU, Art Center, CAFA from Beijing, UI from Mexico City, and University of Washington.

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BeeMe Demo video from liesjeh on Vimeo.

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GivKwik

April 21st, 2009 by cameron
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I’m currently working with a group at ITP on an application to get micropayments for charity. We’ve called it givkwik, it leverages “impulse philanthropy“. I’m doing the frontend dev and some backend/database work. We’re using AJAX, php/mySQL, and jQuery, with a healthy dose of semantc markup and styles. Web 2.0 ftw!

update 7.5.09: GivKwik on Mobile Behavior

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Surfpointer

March 16th, 2009 by cameron
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Picture 2

Working with Bryan Lence in 1210 to create a surf report and alert application that works across mobile, web, and tv devices.

The idea is:

  1. you would be able to get alerts if weather and condition data plus user generated feedback meet your minimum requirements. In other words, if it’s 3-4 ft faces and your buddies are saying it’s good, you get out of bed.
  2. once you’re awake, turn on your tv and see real time and captured footage from different beaches, so you can decide where you want to go.
  3. you’re on the road, the same info is on your phone, along with directions and traffic.

Constituent Parts:

  • user uploads via textmarks & php/mysql
  • national weather service RSS feed
  • ip cams at beaches (this one may prove difficult)
  • Adobe air app to bring it all together and display it on the tv.

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nYS DMV Redesign

January 29th, 2009 by cameron
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For 1’2’10 we were asked to redesign the NYS Dept of Motor Vehicles website. Here’s my stab at it:

dmvcundiffv2

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4-in-4

January 12th, 2009 by cameron
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Day 1:

My goal is to make 40 paintings in 4 days. So far so good, 10 down.

Day 2:

I’ve solicited photos from ITPers for inspiration. Thanks all!
5 paintings today.

Day 3:

2 paintings today. I’m seeing an exponential decay in the quantity of paintings, but I’ve been working larger and longer.
Probably won’t make 40 total. In fact tomorrow I think I’ll complete the trend and do one large all day painting.

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DodgeBot

December 13th, 2008 by cameron
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Dodgebot is a facetracking nerf cannon on a mobile platform. It began as a toy, and somehow crept into the realm of weaponry…observe:

[Read more →]

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How Much Water Do You Use?

December 2nd, 2008 by cameron
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On Wednesday and Thursday the installation received a good deal of user interaction at the ITP Winter Show. The project worked in a practical sense, both the software and the hardware. It was also successful in provoking awareness. Most people were surprised at their consumption, sometimes to the point of skepticism. I assured them that while the flow rates are mapped on the high end of rates for older hardware, it was an accurate portrayal.

Some people questioned the value of the exercise in changing habits. I argued that awareness influences people’s decisions over time. I don’t expect people to take shorter showers after using the project, but perhaps the next toilet they buy will be low-flow.

The project has gotten some visibility online. Swyyne humorously points out the contradiction between the project’s message and my bottled water, since it has negative environmental impacts.

Swynne also cites my mention of the possibility of home implementation. The project as it stands is more suited for a public display/kiosk setting, but home hardware is an extension of the idea that is feasible. An area for future exploration.

Thanks to my Nobu Nakaguchi, my partner on the project, and Robert Carlsen for his assistance.

[Read more →]

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Water Tally BETA

November 28th, 2008 by cameron
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PREVIOUS VERSIONS

Demonstration

Details
A series of physical inputs that correspond to different household water hardware to visualize associated rates of consumption. For example, a toilet flush can consume up to 7 gallons of water. We will show this through a toilet lever attached to a switch that will increment values in a Processing sketch, that in turn will be represented visually.

Recommendations are based on a comparison between water use in the simulation and data on average daily domestic water use. We will offer ways to mitigate excess use based on industry research, and give an option to send the results via email.

Team Members
Nobu Nakaguchi
Cameron Cundiff

Classes
ICM
Physical Computing

Equipment
42″ flat screen display (Processing Visualization)
Mac Mini with Keyboard/Mouse (processing platform)
Computer speakers (audio feedback)
Network connection (email sending)

Space Requirements
4′ x 4′ footprint, 6′ tall with display

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Breathing Tree

November 16th, 2008 by cameron
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Nobu and I are creating a collaborative game that uses volume from microphones to spur the growth and fruition of a virtual tree. The game highlights the value of cooperation and participation in environmental efforts.

revision: Blowing as input has been dropped in favor of a more intuitive interaction. Input is now someone brushing his/her hand over a patch of grass with embedded motion sensor or photocells. Game aspect will be augmented by a timer in the form of the cycle of the sun in the background, and “high scores” in the form of memory of past trees in the background of the viz.

Prototype Code (uses stereo headphones as input):

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