Projects

Neyton and One One are two robots with opposite personalities,
Neton is continuously depressed and has an inate hatred for humans.
One One is only too happy to see you and is slightly manic.
Together they try to get people to help them carry out tasks,

(Final video pending)
Test video

Solar absurdities was an installation which explored the interrelationship between people,
energy, nature and technology. Through absurd uses of solar power, the viewer is left to
contemplate these relationships and what they mean.

60 clocks are displayed to investigate the nature of the interrelation of time, space,
context and history. As time passes, the clocks not only display time,
they display everything they have experienced within the context of their existence.

A robot equipped with sensors and a high resolution video camera
roamed around autonomously with the goal of producing a documentary.
Using several methods to encourage interaction, the robot was able to
successfully pull stories from people and create an interesting documentary.
Developed as part of a masters thesis at the MIT Media Lab.

Website with videos
Thesis

FastCompany
NewScientist
BostonInno
Hack A Day
c|net
CBC Radio Interview

A multi-user sensor network explorer that provided a haptic, aural and visual experience,
allowing viewers to experience sensor data ported from other spaces.
The ubiquitous sensor network and media explorer integrates sound, images,
and diverse data sampled throughout the Media Lab into a visual, aural and haptic experience.
Real time data drives the system,
allowing the observer to sense the overall activity of the Media Lab.
Sound and images are streamed into our system from a selection of
45 sensor nodes distributed throughout our Lab.
Observers can interact with the piece, both observing the generic activity of the Media Lab
and drilling down to browse media streamed from particular locations.
The installation reflects the essence of the Media Lab as a holistic entity.
Exibited in ARS Electronica, Linz Austria and The Media Lab

Worked on a system in the Responsive Environments Group which took in situ
high-speed biomechanical data measurements from baseball players on the
Red Sox sports team.
Ran experiments with the team during spring training.

In this project reactive instruments for performance were developed.
Reactive instruments provide feedback for the performer thereby providing
a more dynamic experience.
This is achieved through the use of haptics and robotics.
Haptics provide a feedback system to the control surface.
Robotics provides a way to actuate the instruments and their control surfaces.
This allows a highly coordinated dance between performer and the instrument.
An application for this idea is presented as a linear slide interface.
Reactive interfaces represent a dynamic way for music to be portrayed in performance.
Demoed at the NIME 2009 conference, accepted as paper.

News Report Video
Paper for NIME

This project involved software visualizations and hardware development for
the SPINNER ubiquitous sensor network.
"Spinner is a novel sensor network system designed to detect and capture
fragmented events of human behavior that can be collected and sequenced
into a cohesive narrative that conveys a larger overall meaning.
Research into narratology will be performed in order to develop a
parametric model of effective narratives that can be mapped onto
sensor-detectable elements of human behavior.
The network will be comprised of wearable sensors, environmental sensors,
and video sensors that can identify and record events that fit specific narratives.
Alternatively, the system can capture all events along with narrative
meta-data for cataloging and browsing."

Fabricated a door with embedded magnetic coils that would excite magnets
embedded in glasses to allow the viewer to listen into other spaces.
"Listening through doors with a glass never worked too well for us in real life.
But we have now connected a door to many other spaces, where a visitor
may place a glass upon and listen to activity in the space beyond.
Shifting a glass along an otherwise plain looking door reveals the sounds of
hidden spaces, beyond that door, so that the visitor might know where to go next."

War is often ignored in everyday life. In order to bring war into the everyday,
an intervention must be performed.
This particular intervention involves a barrage of smells, sound and light.
The weapon developed creates a gentle trauma which is relived in life when
certain smells are smelled.
In this way, the trauma of way is, even if only slightly, brought into everyday life.
This was accomplished by developing a gun which shoots smells as well as
a strobe and sound.
This combination of senses stuns the viewer creating a gentle trauma that will be
relived when they smell that particular smell again.
The device is a custom weaponized toy which shoots a torrid of air.
This air contains a smell, and when it reaches the viewer, the flash and
high pitched sound accompany it.
The sound is that of hearing loss after experiencing a concussive sound,
such as that experienced from an explosion.

Fabricated a voting system for a large sign which asks the question:
"True / False, Capitlaism works for me!:.
A podium with large buttons invites the viewer to vote on this tough
Question.

Fabricated a robotic corset which would squeeze a mannequin based on the debt
the viewer has.
This piece conveys a graphic, bodily sense of debt as constraining and suffocating
through its belt tightening device and audio-video.
A motorized corset and interactive video installation responds to individual debt levels
that gallery visitors submit via their cell phones.
As debt is submitted, the device squeezes a bloated dress-dummy torso through
an elaborate pulley and winch system.
Simultaneously, video of gold foil covered chocolate coins cascades down and
accumulates at different heights according to amounts of debt.
Absent viewer input, it randomly scrolls through the U.S. national debt, average student loan,
and median gallery visitors debt that is projected upon audio-video of simmering fat.
Shown In the RISD Sol Koffer gallery, Providence RI.

Developed at NASA Ames Intelligent Robotics Group as a collaboration with
Carnage Mellon, National Geographic, Charmed Labs, Google and others.
Robot that takes extreme resolution panoramic pictures.

Hacked animatronic monkey head for an exhibit in
The Whitney Museum of American Art's 2008 biennial exhibition.

Test video.
Whitney produced video about the robot

Built at EYEBEAM in NYC as part of a workshop, symbolic device for the freegans.
Also documented the event in pictures. Exibited in EYEBEAM, Chelsea NYC.

Link

Assembled and programmed six legged robot. Ultrasonic sensors for eyes,
6 dof per leg. Chassis made of black laser cut acrylic.

Made to withstand abuse. Made from easily obtainable and repairable parts.
Easily reconfigureable. High torque. Tailored for rescue operations.

Timer made from a water bottle and an I. V. set to visually show
deaths due to bad water. Every 8 seconds a child dies from poor water.

An unmarked box is presented to the viewer.
Without knowledge of function the box presents infinite possibilities
that boil down to one real conclusion if the button is pressed.
The viewer may find that they become the viewed.

Video

Simple and effective method of image stabilization.
Featured on lifehacker, MAKE, core77, hackszine and others
Has over 100,000 views

Link