The Water Labs
Interdisciplinary like MIT Media Lab, but for water.
"Labs" rather than just "Lab" (distributed+inclusive).
Goal: to create the world's water epicentre:
Natural User-Interfaces and
Human-Environment Interaction;
Water+nature;
Water is universal, tangible, touchable;
Nexus of science+innovation, research+teaching+outreach,
arts+culture + music, fun+frolic;
Let's draw inspiration from lateral thinkers like Leonardo daVinci
(wet blankets later)
Steve Mann, 2011 November 22
Why are we here?
Opportunities if we can generate a
strong sense of "we"
As a symbolic expression:
Architouch: every drop of water in the lake is everyone...
Touch and be touched by water...
A note on notes (hydraulophone pipes)...
sound...
Personal Introduction...
Prof. in Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering (ECE)...
Described by mainstream media as "world's first cyborg"
Childhood: invention of wearable computer, electric seeing aids...
Born, Hamilton Ontario, McMaster, then to US (M.I.T.) for PhD; returned
to Canada.
Early childhood cyborg + beekeeping, nature, the environment, wind, solar, geothermal; Cyborg-Environment Interaction
Wearable Computing...
Cyborg, shoes, shirt... we're all "cyborgs"...
Nicholas Negroponte, Director of MIT Media Lab:
Neckworn camera with fisheye lens and sensors:
Mann 1998, Microsoft 2004, but possible with cameraphone then
Gesture recognition, autogesture, augmediated reality
glogger.mobi
MindMesh
Human-machine interface.
Facilitates connection of various apparatus to brain
through wearable or implantable mesh-based computing.
Hypercube architecture, 8*8 = 64 nodes
Mind-controlled illumination...
EEG to DMX512 lighting... leading to interactive art installation...
Ottawa, Toronto, Niagara Falls
--- Visions for a ---
Centre for Cyborg-Environment Interaction
Natural User-Interfaces and
Human-Environment Interaction
Cyborg Environment Interaction (CEI)
We're all cyborgs in some sense... shoes, clothing...
We thus interact indirectly with nature
We're expected, and even required, to be cyborgs
Nature Deficit Disorder...
Natural environments and intelligent environments
"Environment" and "Nature" in the wide sense
(Philips "Lumimotion" and Illumination Concepts "Intellistreets")
Cyborg Environment Interaction (CEI)
Nature in the wide-sense...
Environment in the wide-sense
Cyborg Environment Interaction (CEI)
Design for CEI
Natural User Interface (NUI)
(image: Wikimedia Commons)
Intelligent Image Processing, Mann 2001
Natural User Interfaces
Metaphor-free computing
Reality User Interfaces
Natural elements: Earth, Water, Air...
Water, in particular, is an exemplary natural element.
Intimate, pure, primal
Dihydrogen monoxide (H2O) is important to us
We even have words for it when it exists in each of
its states-of-matter:
Dihydrogen monoxide in its solid
form is called "ice".
Dihydrogen monoxide in its liquid
form is called "water".
Dihydrogen monoxide in its gaseous form
(i.e. as a vapour) is called "steam".
Other chemicals like carbon dioxide (CO2), don't have
a single word for each of their 3 states.
Takehome: H2O and water are NOT the same thing!
H2O is a proper superset of water!
Hydraulophone
Hydraulophones at Splash2011
Hydraulophone
Ryan Janzen and Dr. Eugene Draw, Beaches Jazz Festival...
Hydraulophone
Hydraulophones as civic centerpieces
Design and public art
Hydraulophones as civic centerpieces
Public art and science outreach...
WOIP (Water Over Internet Protocol)
Splash page: Put on your surf shorts to "surf the web"
Truly Natural User Interfaces
WOIP (Water Over Internet Protocol)
Multimedia beyond acoustic vibrations in water:
To touch and be touched by water.
ARCHITouch:
Try to stop me if you will
I'll keep on spraying, spraying still.
I am water, still as glass,
so block me, block me, still I pass.
--S. Mann, 2011
First Mover Advantage
Interim Hydraulikos (Water Lab)
Hydraulikos collaborators:
Sandy Smith;
Annabel Slaight;
Mohini Sain, etc.;
Ingrid Stefanovic;
Crystal Fountains;
Additional future collaborators...
Take-home message and Action Items:
Water is universal, i.e. lateral (lab + life)
Ontario is world water capital.
Opportunity to embrace water laterally
Fluid User Interfaces: To touch and be touched by water!
Mann 1998, Microsoft 2004, but possible with cameraphone then
link
Canadian Patent 2313693,
link
(image: Wikimedia Commons)
Splash page: Put on your surf shorts to "surf the web"
Multimedia beyond acoustic vibrations in water:
