While preparing for Siggraph 2006 i went through my archives and found a couple of videos from my visit to Siggraph back in 2001. Some of the technology and art installations are still pretty amazing so I have decided to post a series of videos from that conference.

This one is from the art exhibition. The system consist of a couple of computers, a projector, a camera and a pool of water. The projector and the camera is mounted directly above the pool. One computer renders the characters and project them in the pool. Another computer is analyzing the video feed from the camera and control the animation of the words on basis of the movements of the elements in the picture. One is used to move the characters and the other one is used as an eraser.

Link to the video on YouTube.

You speak into a microphone and letters start to drip out of the funnel. Then you can have fun lifting the letters up, moving them around and erase them.

These kinds of alternative methods of controlling computers are quite interesting. Again, I have to think about Brian Eno and the wish for more “africa” in computers. Mentioned here at eirikso.com before. You also find some thoughts over at brilliantdays.com.

If you want to follow the rest of my videos from Siggraph 2001 I recommend subscribing to this blog through your RSS reader or through my email update. You find all the information you need here.

Credit goes to the artist Shinji Sasada, that will be back with some interesting stuff this year.

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