MAT 256 Visual Design Through Algorithms: Explorations of Visual Perception



Jerry Gibson, George Legrady
August Black

Tuesday 1-2 pm - Estudio
Thursday 12-3pm - Estudio



"Significant interaction between an artwork and spectator is one where both are enriched by the experience in some way". [David Rokeby]

Interactive installation, visual perception, televisual feedback, remote visual sensing, human visual system response, video compression, just noticeable distortion, haptic devices, registering audience interaction, intelligent space, immersive environment, hybrid reality.

The course will focus on the development of an installation wherein the participant/visitor interacts with multiple real-time video signals, and which, while maintaining the context of the artistic experience, allows the participant's choices and responses to be correlated with video quality to determine human perceptual models. Aesthetic and technical issues in the production of an interactive telematic visual environment will be addressed. Topics to be covered include visual perception, delivery of real-time televisual signals, design and implementation of 3D devices to control remote cameras, and to record viewer actions, insertion of controlled distortions, and the measurement of significant human responses.

The key research questions to be investigated are:

1) How to map viewer navigation in information space into a codifiable lexicon [Alan Kay]

2) How to expand the complexity and interest of the video through technological interference. Solutions include processes of narrative (the transition from one state to another, or defining what it takes for the audience to be engaged with the interaction) and metaphor (the play from the familiar to the non-familiar).

Designing the interface sensing system involves studying how the space influence the actions to be generated based on location change, timing, behavior: motivation, calmness, nervousness, hesitation, assuredness.

Evaluate the human perception of controlled, time-varying distortions while engaged in a task

The hybrid reality interactive space consists of large scale projection of real-time video of natural scenes that can be controlled by viewers using haptic devices.

While participants are immersed in studying live video, various forms of unexpected information are inserted into the live signal. The level and type of inserted information will determine the human response.

Participants' actions and choices in adjusting and controlling video quality are recorded in synchrony with the inserted data, so that the correlation of the two data can be studied.

Student teams will address one or more topics based on their interest and knowledge skills:

. Implement reception of real-time televised images from motorized cameras at remote locations
. Design and test haptic devices to control quality of images
. Design software to record viewer actions through haptic devices
. Design software to insert and control artifacts for compression evaluation