Adam Montandon's Blog
Read my latest news and digital adventures updated every day.
Discovery Channel Canada
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Written by Adam Montandon [permalink]
Today I will be in London being interviewed for a new documentary for Discovery Channel Canada.
Labels: TV and Live
Alexander Nischelwitzer's 3D carriage simulator
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Written by Adam Montandon [permalink]
Sometimes you find the strangest and most unusual projects! Today I was looking at the website of my old friend Alexander Nischelwitzer who I met in Austria several years ago. We oftern meet up and talk about the future of interactivity, and of new projects and fun things to do. Like me, he loves to make wild and wacky projects that have a serious side.
I was so pleased to find his concept of a 3D carriage simulator! This is awesome!
It has a full false carrage, and a set of reigns, and you explore the town in virtual 3D.
I have seen lots of car racing simulators, flight simulators, but never a 3D Carriage simulator!
This one even simulates a real carriage racing course, so you can see just how good you are behind the reigns. I love unusual uses of technology like this, good work and congratulations to Alexander Nischelwitzer and his team.
You can find out more with video here.
Michele Perras Mobile Experience
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Written by Adam Montandon [permalink]
The lovely Michele Perras has started her Mobile Experience Innovation Centre in Canada, and it might be of interest to some of you readers! Its worth checking out.
The Mobile Experience Innovation Centre is a partnership of industry and academic organizations actively involved in the mobile content and related services, led by the Ontario College of Art & Design. We’re currently operating with a research and prototyping agenda for mobile content and services, design and commercialization in Ontario. MEIC will be a centre for pre-competitive research, knowledge development and knowledge sharing, focusing on the strategic development of mobile experience design and advanced services in Canada.
Focusing on the role of user experience and usability design and the commercialization of advanced mobile and embedded services and content, MEIC will create opportunities for industry-academic and industry-industry linkages and build capacity for excellence in mobile content design.
If it sounds like something you'd like to get involved in, leave a comment on her blog
Warehouse is OPEN
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Written by Adam Montandon [permalink]
Yay!
After lots of hard work from the entire team, our HUGE digital warehouse opened up to the public. We've had loads of people around to see it!
Anais has taken lots of photographs so they will all be online soon.
Thanks to the whole team for working so hard on this massive project.
After lots of hard work from the entire team, our HUGE digital warehouse opened up to the public. We've had loads of people around to see it!
Anais has taken lots of photographs so they will all be online soon.
Thanks to the whole team for working so hard on this massive project.
Aids rings
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Written by Adam Montandon [permalink]
I really like the rings designed by Andriy Kurovets who wants to bring attention to the Aids virus by designing jewellery based on the virus. The form of the virus informs the shape of the ring. Its beautiful and haunting at the same time. Fantastic.
New social network
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Written by Adam Montandon [permalink]
Thanks to an interesting blog post by the lovely Rahaf Harfoush I have been setting up an experiment with a new social network. Its called Digital Futures Experts and its for anybody who is interested in digital futures and new technology.
It works a bit like facebook or myspace, but it seems a lot more fun, and a lot more community based. I'd love to know what you guys think of it. Let me know!
Flash Programmer
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Do you want to push the limits of what Flash can do at one of the UK’s hottest companies?
Can you mix programming logic with artistic passion and flair?
HMC Interactive are looking for a talented and creative programmer with advanced Actionscript skills.
Your primary focus will be developing and implementing slick and intuitive multimedia experiences involving anything from motion tracking to database integration. Design skills and experience with Actionscript 3, Java, C++, Processing, VVVV, MAX MSP or Director is advantageous but not a requirement.
Please send CV’s and examples of work to Korash@hmcinteractive.co.uk or Korash Sanjideh,Twofour Studios, Estover, Plymouth, PL6 7RG quoting the reference SWF7.
Can you mix programming logic with artistic passion and flair?
HMC Interactive are looking for a talented and creative programmer with advanced Actionscript skills.
Your primary focus will be developing and implementing slick and intuitive multimedia experiences involving anything from motion tracking to database integration. Design skills and experience with Actionscript 3, Java, C++, Processing, VVVV, MAX MSP or Director is advantageous but not a requirement.
Please send CV’s and examples of work to Korash@hmcinteractive.co.uk or Korash Sanjideh,Twofour Studios, Estover, Plymouth, PL6 7RG quoting the reference SWF7.
Warehouse week
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Written by Adam Montandon [permalink]
Well, its all hands on deck this week as we begining preparations for the opening of our medialab warehouse in our Plymouth studio.
We have 7 interactive elements going in, with a few surprises on the way.
We will have:
Slide machine word art
Interactive floors
A bed if grass that responds to your movement
Blobby things that sing
Life sized Mario worlds
Ripping your own guts out
35 screen touch video (this one is HUGE)
Some lazer beams
All sorts of things that go bleep blip and bloop.
Today the floor was cleaned and the installations are ready to go in! Its an exciting time.
We have 7 interactive elements going in, with a few surprises on the way.
We will have:
Slide machine word art
Interactive floors
A bed if grass that responds to your movement
Blobby things that sing
Life sized Mario worlds
Ripping your own guts out
35 screen touch video (this one is HUGE)
Some lazer beams
All sorts of things that go bleep blip and bloop.
Today the floor was cleaned and the installations are ready to go in! Its an exciting time.
Labels: warehouse
Glass keyboard
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Written by Adam Montandon [permalink]
Kong Fanwen has designed this very sexy glass keyboard. I absolutly love the design. No word yet on when it will be available, or even if it's real, but it looks like a great concept.
Bubbles
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My very first job was working as a Bubbleologist at a circus. So I was pleased to see Jason Tozer's magical collection of bubble images
Paralyzed student walks in Second Life
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The system uses electrodes as small as 1cm in diameter that are attached to the scalp. A computer detects brainwaves from the sensory-motor cortex when the subject slightly moves fingers of his/her right and left hand, and moves the avatar accordingly. The computer also detects the subject’s will to move forward, and makes the avatar move forward. The system released last year used a desktop computer, but the new system uses a portable electroencephalograph commercially available, and made it possible to bring the system to the subject's home.
HMC Interactive Is Hiring
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Written by Adam Montandon [permalink]
Want a job at the most AMAZING company in the world? HMC Interactive is hiring!
Please send your CV's and cool stuff to:
Adam Montandon
HMC Interactive
Twofour Studios
Bush Park,
Plymouth,
PL6 7RG,
UK
We are looking for FULL TIME developers, no freelancers. You must have experience with "cool" stuff. That's the only requirement. If you have worked in marketing, account management, flash / director or multimedia development or just have mad skills, get in touch now as we are hiring for a ton of jobs!
Please send your CV's and cool stuff to:
Adam Montandon
HMC Interactive
Twofour Studios
Bush Park,
Plymouth,
PL6 7RG,
UK
We are looking for FULL TIME developers, no freelancers. You must have experience with "cool" stuff. That's the only requirement. If you have worked in marketing, account management, flash / director or multimedia development or just have mad skills, get in touch now as we are hiring for a ton of jobs!
Enhancements
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Written by Adam Montandon [permalink]
Over the next few weeks I will be making lots of little upgrades and improvements to the website. Making it faster to load, and adding new features. Now you can also subscribe to Adam Montandons Blog via feedburner so give that a try and see how you like it.
Let me know if you think of any improvements.
Let me know if you think of any improvements.
More lazer grafitti
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Written by Adam Montandon [permalink]
There's been loads of Lazer Graffiti stuff on the web over the past year, but this wii- based project from Japan caught the eyes of the guys and girls over at HMC Interactive. Its a nice blend between the real and the virtual worlds.
Britain is just not ready
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Following my ongoing reporting into the amazing world of Milk In Bags, I can only conclude the Britain just isnt ready for such amazing technology.
Masks of Emotion
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I found this strange emotion mask here and its a fun way to hide your emotions in the cyborg world. It reminds me of the amazing Daft Punk helmets that Chris O'Shea and myself are huge fans of.
Milk in bags!
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Those of you who know just how much time I have spent in Canada will know just how much I love Milk In Bags but now they are coming to the UK!
Digital Wheel Art
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Digital Wheel Art is a program that helps disabled people create art. The system uses a Wiimote attached to a wheelchair to create digital images based on the movements of the wheelchair.
Data from the Wiimote is sent via Bluetooth to a painting program on a computer. Based on the movements of the wheelchair, the program draws lines in different colours and shapes that the user can choose by tilting his or her head on a ball on the side of the wheelchair.
PMZ use Visual Voice Pro
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This video talks about Visual Voice Pro, the software I designed for music therapy rooms. It was filmed at PMZ.
Leah Buechley's work at SIGGRAPH
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Beautiful and imaginative, Leah Buechley explains some of her projects on wearable computing. She has a bracelet has a 5x10 matrix that can be programmed with animations like cellular automata and scrolling text.
Her bracelet has motion-sensing which enables a communicating wearable display that changes the light pattern according to the input from the motion sensor. And also a Bluetooth module for wireless communication is integrated into the bracelet to interact with laptops, PDAs and cell phones as well as each other and other Wearable Electronic products that are Bluetooth enabled. Information sent by those devices can be visualised in the light pattern on the bracelet.
Massive digital clock
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Much better than my first tiny Casio digital watch, this huge project features 2 digits of 7-segment display, formed using industrial fluorescent tubes, suspended from the ceiling. It can display the time in minutes) and also provide the light for the room. You can find out more here.
FHM China - Anime inspired shoot
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Written by Adam Montandon [permalink]
FHM China have an amazing set of futuristic, anime inspired images by photographer Chen Zhun. They are weird and wonderful and feature fast paced futuristic fashion. My favourite image of course is the one with the monkey.
These images might seem strange to us now, but in the future we will all look like this.... probably.
Human Computer Interaction in Science Fiction Movies
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Written by Adam Montandon [permalink]
Michael Schmitz has written an excellent article about Human Computer Interaction in Science Fiction Movies.
Science Fiction movies have been a source for speculation about the future of technology and human computer interaction. Schmitz presents a survey of different kinds of interaction designs in movies during the past decades and relates the techniques of the films to existing technologies and prototypes where possible.
He has a very nice collection of all sorts of interfaces, and breaks them down into sections.
Its from his paper in 2003, and I would love to see an update to it. In the past few years we have seen a lot more high-tec interface design used in movies and TV shows. Check it out.
To Vima
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Irene Carolina Veniou is a journalist in one of the most reliable political newspapers in Greece, called "To Vima" www.tovima.gr, www.tovimadaily.gr, for the scientific section.
She interviewed me about the Eyeborg project.
Irene Carolina Veniou: What is the Eyeborg? And how does it work exactly?
Adam Montandon: The Eyeborg is a device I invented for Neil Harbisson. Neil is completely colourblind, and can only see in black, white and shades of grey. His world is totaly black and white. I thought, if he can’t see colours, why shouldn’t he be able to HEAR colours?
So I invented the eyeborg, it basically turns colours into sounds. Colour is a very fast wavelength, so we slow it down, so it stops becoming a visible wave and starts becoming an audible wave.
So red is a very low frequency and becomes a low note, violet is a very high frequency and becomes a high note, and all the other colours are in between. That way you can hear the colour spectrum.
Irene Carolina Veniou: Does it run on batteries?
Adam Montandon: Yes. It runs off of a small laptop, powered by a battery, so Neil can run around without needing to be plugged in!
Irene Carolina Veniou: What are its' dimensions?
Adam Montandon: Well, there are lots of different versions in lots of different styles. Some fit in a baseball cap and others are larger.
Irene Carolina Veniou: How did you come up with the idea in the first place?
Adam Montandon: I was giving a lecture at Neil's college on Cyborg technologies and how we can change the way we see the world. Neil approached me afterwards and said that he didn’t see the world the same as everybody else. It was at that moment that I knew I had to make something for him.
Irene Carolina Veniou: When was it originally built?
Adam Montandon: On the 22nd March 2004 was Neil's Cyborg Birthday
Irene Carolina Veniou: Was Neil the first to use it?
Adam Montandon: Yes
Irene Carolina Veniou:. Were there any newer versions, and if yes, how sophisticated where there in comparison to the first one?
Adam Montandon: The main improvements have been making the device smaller and simpler to use, lighter to carry, and easier for Neil to apply to his every day life as a cyborg. The most interesting part is that Neil can change and modify the Eyeborg himself, so he can change and adapt it to suit his needs.
Irene Carolina Veniou: Can the device be used throughout the day, for everyday tasks, by people with achromatopsia?
Adam Montandon: Yes.
Irene Carolina Veniou: What are your future plans about this revolutionary device? Is it going to hit the market soon?
Adam Montandon: It’s not really a mass market project. Its not for everyone. Lots of people want to hear colour for a little while, but very few people want to become a cyborg!
Irene Carolina Veniou: Do you have a rough price in mind?
Adam Montandon: We can custom make technology for peoples needs, so we usually invent things for individual people, that way everything is perfect for them, so the cost depends on how much technology they want, and how many “upgrades” they want to perform on themselves.
Irene Carolina Veniou: How easily can a person without any musical knowledge use the Eyeborg, do you think?
Adam Montandon: Its very easy for anyone to use, because it is such a natural thing, to hear colour through your ears instead of seeing it with your eyes.
She interviewed me about the Eyeborg project.
Irene Carolina Veniou: What is the Eyeborg? And how does it work exactly?
Adam Montandon: The Eyeborg is a device I invented for Neil Harbisson. Neil is completely colourblind, and can only see in black, white and shades of grey. His world is totaly black and white. I thought, if he can’t see colours, why shouldn’t he be able to HEAR colours?
So I invented the eyeborg, it basically turns colours into sounds. Colour is a very fast wavelength, so we slow it down, so it stops becoming a visible wave and starts becoming an audible wave.
So red is a very low frequency and becomes a low note, violet is a very high frequency and becomes a high note, and all the other colours are in between. That way you can hear the colour spectrum.
Irene Carolina Veniou: Does it run on batteries?
Adam Montandon: Yes. It runs off of a small laptop, powered by a battery, so Neil can run around without needing to be plugged in!
Irene Carolina Veniou: What are its' dimensions?
Adam Montandon: Well, there are lots of different versions in lots of different styles. Some fit in a baseball cap and others are larger.
Irene Carolina Veniou: How did you come up with the idea in the first place?
Adam Montandon: I was giving a lecture at Neil's college on Cyborg technologies and how we can change the way we see the world. Neil approached me afterwards and said that he didn’t see the world the same as everybody else. It was at that moment that I knew I had to make something for him.
Irene Carolina Veniou: When was it originally built?
Adam Montandon: On the 22nd March 2004 was Neil's Cyborg Birthday
Irene Carolina Veniou: Was Neil the first to use it?
Adam Montandon: Yes
Irene Carolina Veniou:. Were there any newer versions, and if yes, how sophisticated where there in comparison to the first one?
Adam Montandon: The main improvements have been making the device smaller and simpler to use, lighter to carry, and easier for Neil to apply to his every day life as a cyborg. The most interesting part is that Neil can change and modify the Eyeborg himself, so he can change and adapt it to suit his needs.
Irene Carolina Veniou: Can the device be used throughout the day, for everyday tasks, by people with achromatopsia?
Adam Montandon: Yes.
Irene Carolina Veniou: What are your future plans about this revolutionary device? Is it going to hit the market soon?
Adam Montandon: It’s not really a mass market project. Its not for everyone. Lots of people want to hear colour for a little while, but very few people want to become a cyborg!
Irene Carolina Veniou: Do you have a rough price in mind?
Adam Montandon: We can custom make technology for peoples needs, so we usually invent things for individual people, that way everything is perfect for them, so the cost depends on how much technology they want, and how many “upgrades” they want to perform on themselves.
Irene Carolina Veniou: How easily can a person without any musical knowledge use the Eyeborg, do you think?
Adam Montandon: Its very easy for anyone to use, because it is such a natural thing, to hear colour through your ears instead of seeing it with your eyes.
Labels: Press
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