software

Results of a one-month test of live sensor data for monitoring plant growth outdoors, for implementation at Kew Gardens as part of of the research project Village e-Science for Life.

Created mobile phone audio annotation system, hiring Shawn Van Every for programming of an Asterisk based exhibit voicemail system, to interface with the Pompidou's Lignes de Temps software. A local phone number from DID Worldwide connected invisibly to an Asterisk box in New York for tests. Thanks to Yves-Marie Haussonne, the museum duplicated our system on a local server. The system is described in further detail here.

After a few years of research (along with scattered web/video/design work), I'm wading back into exhibits with this prototype for interactive table that recognizes visitors' phones, as well as handling artifacts. This was prototyped on my Powerbook using Director and video tracking. See photos here - see how laptop with camera pointing at screen makes for a nice impromptu interactive table!

I helped Allen Coombs with the technical design for this piece, a digital version of the 100-year-old mutoscope. Turning the handle moves a flipbook of images; in this case a Quicktime movie in Macromedia Director. Provided hardware design and software.

Jennifer Steinkamp, 23 March to 17 April 2004 at Greengrassi, London

Provided support to the artist in synchronizing four high-resolution (4xXGA) projections for this installation, using a similar solution to that created for the recent Petra exhibition, and the previous Shackleton exhibition. This installation bears some similarities to Shackleton, in the ocean simulation software used, and in its nautical theme. Steinkamp's more surreal ocean is simultaneously viewed from sea level and above. See her description here.

requires Shockwave plug in. More info here

... with the $34 video server

From: Molly Lenore
Date: Tue Sep 2, 2003
To: Kevin Walker
Subject: Re: a link for you

hello kevin,

I need to talk to you about syncing three computers using Director. Sound familiar? Need to do the exact same thing as Shackleton, but will will have to use three computers and a fourth for the timing because each computer will be playing 6 to 7, 1.5 GB movies. It is for the Petra exhibition. 26' panoramic views on three screens, showing Greg Downing's excellent hi-res panoramic video. Macs, hopefully G5s and we need frame-accurate sync. What do you think?

Molly Lenore
Senior Animator

At Zeum, San Francisco May 2003 - June 2004

A tilting table allows visitors to navigate across an aerial view of California, zooming down to San Francisco and directly into Zeum.

The installation consists of a simple, round table, painted white, witih a conical base. Onto the tabletop is projected high-resolution satellite imagery, with a caped child in the center for orientation. There are no instructions; the design exploits visitors' desire for exploration, and as soon as they touch the table, the method of navigation is revealed.

At Zeum, San Francisco May 2003 - June 2004

Passers-by create patterns of turbulence on a bank of monitors.

The installation consists of a bank of eight monitors. Beneath them are mounted two cameras, which track passers-by. Software analyzes their movements and displays smoke-like turbulent patterns, which follow the passers' movements. The installation is located at the entrance to the museum's "Whoosh!" exhibition.

Permanent installation at Zeum, San Francisco
Installed 2003

In some ways, this is like a real wishing well: it is a real container into which visitors drop money; only the water, and its inhabitants, are virtual. Unlike a real wishing well, this provides a small reward for each donation.

Concept/Software/Integration: Kevin Walker
Box Design: Red Egg Labs
Box Fabrication: Steve Chesney
Electronics: Joseph Stein
Animation: Kevin Walker, Molly Lenore
Zeum coordinator: Audrey Yamamoto