IDAT 106 - The Territory: Deep ecology - Live Video Streaming and Greenscreen

Live Streaming

For this section of the module I am looking at Live Streaming whether it is using video or the Greenscreen.



Video

Live streaming has become a reality, with more an more websites offering the chance to stream video live from your mobile phone or computer straight to their site. One sight which offers such a facility is http://qik.com/ Here is a screenshot of there recent video gallery containing both live and recorded videos:

Live Streaming websites are improving along with the hardware available. The picture quality differs depending on the camera the user is using along with the network connection of the users.

The use of live streaming is having a major effect on our lives, with video calling available on phones and instant messengers and live lessons given by teachers enabling their students to learn from home. It also enables you to share important moments such as birthdays live with family members on the other side of the world.


Arch-OS

"An 'Operating System' for contemporary architecture (Arch-OS, 'software for buildings') has been developed to manifest the life of a building and provide artists, engineers and scientists with a unique environment for developing transdisciplinary work and new public art." - http://www.arch-os.com/

It is based in the Portland square building of the university campus, it takes in different sets of information from sensors and cameras all over the building inside and out and relays it in data form. The sensors used by the Arch-OS system take in data such as are inside and outside temperature, CO2 levels and wind speed. The idea of the data collected is to show that the building is alive, it has a pulse or a heart beat, a changing temperature and I suppose it is correct. Every building has a flow of people much like a bloodstream a change in CO2 much like our own bodies and also a change in outer and inner temperature. The Arch-OS supplies all its data from the building live and at no cost so is freely available to those who which to benefit from its use one of these uses is to create data based images for the Greenscreen.

Greenscreen

The Greenscreen is a large mesh of 50 x 80 LED's each of which have the ability to display an array of colours. The screen has the potential to show anything up to a resolution of 330 x 500 pixels, but to get the best visual effect its best to use contrasting colours.

The Arch-OS data has been used to create visual models which have been displayed on the Greenscreen. Here is one video which I have found that shows a previous interactive project, its entitled Noogy. Noogy is a digital personality created by the Arch-OS data, you can text and get your message displayed live on the screen, if its windy his hair will move and if the sensors aren't detecting any movement inside Noogy gets bored and plays PONG. You can also see Noogy at http://www.noogy.org/2006/hello_noogy.cfm.

Outcome

For my outcome in this section I chose to work on the Greenscreen using the live data collected from Arch-OS.

I chose a subject to work title to work on this project and it is "The difference between" and I chose to do the difference between the inside and outside of Portland Square. Using two sensors one for inside temperature and one for out I have created 3 circles, the inner circles symbolise the inside temperature of the building, the outer circle symbolises the outside temperature. I then set up the circles so they work from a clock, the one on the right moves down every second, the one in the middle moves every minute and the one on the left moves every hour. The clock displayed shows the time is 02:29:46.

The temperature changes a different colour at every 5 degrees. There are eight different colours and the temperatures stop changing colour below 0 degrees (cyan) and above 30 degrees (yellow).

The good thing about this clock is it will change colour all year round, morning to night.