Art, Maths, Electronics and Micros: The Late Work of Stan Ostoja-Kotkowski

To date, most work on computers in art has focused on the Algorists (1960s–) and on later cyber arts (1990s–). The use of microcomputers is an underexplored area, with the 1980s constituting a particular gap in the knowledge. This article considers the case of Polish-Australian artist, Stan Ostoja-Kotkowski (b. 1922, d. 1994), who after early exposure to computers at the Bell Labs (1967), returned to microcomputers late in his life. He was not a programmer yet used micros in his practice from the early 1980s, first a BBC in his BP Christmas Star commission, and later a 32-bit Archimedes. This he used from 1989 until his death to produce still images with a fractal generator and the ‘paintbox’ program, “Photodesk”. Drawing on archival research and interviews, we focus on three examples of how Ostoja deployed his micro, highlighting the convergence of art, maths, electronics, and a ‘hands-on’ tinkering ethic in his practice. We argue that when considering the history of creative microcomputing, it is imperative to go beyond the field of art itself. In this case, electronics and the hobbyist computing scenes provide crucial contexts.</p

Experimental study of surface curvature effects on aerodynamic performance of a low Reynolds number airfoil for use in small wind turbines

This paper presents the wind tunnel experimental results to investigate the effects of surface gradient-of-curvature on aerodynamic performance of a low Reynolds number airfoil Eppler 387 for use in small-scale wind turbines. The prescribed surface curvature distribution blade design method is applied to the airfoil E387 to remove the gradient-of-curvature discontinuities and the redesigned airfoil is denoted as A7. Both airfoils are manufactured with high precision to reflect the design. Low-speed wind tunnel experiments are conducted to both airfoils at chord based Reynolds numbers 100 000, 200 000, and 300 000. Surface pressure measurements are used to calculate the lift and pitching-moment data, and the wake survey method is applied to obtain the drag data. The experimental results of E387 are compared with NASA Low Turbulence Pressure Tunnel (LTPT) results for validation. The gradient-of-curvature discontinuities of E387 result in a larger laminar separation bubble which causes higher drag at lower angles of attack. As the angle of attack increases the separation bubble of the airfoil E387 moves faster towards the leading edge than that of A7, resulting in a premature bubble bursting and earlier stall on E387. The impact of the gradient-of-curvature distribution on the airfoil performance is more profound at higher angles of attack and lower Reynolds number. The aerodynamic improvements are integrated over the 3D geometry of a 3 kW small wind turbine, resulting in up to 10% increase in instantaneous power and 1.6% increase in annual energy production. It is experimentally concluded that an improved curvature distribution results in a better airfoil performance, leading to higher energy output efficiency

Erratum to: 36th International Symposium on Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1186/s13054-016-1208-6.]

Art, Maths, Electronics and Micros: The Late Work of Stan Ostoja-Kotkowski

To date, most work on computers in art has focused on the Algorists (1960s&ndash;) and on later cyber arts (1990s&ndash;). The use of microcomputers is an underexplored area, with the 1980s constituting a particular gap in the knowledge. This article considers the case of Polish-Australian artist, Stan Ostoja-Kotkowski (b. 1922, d. 1994), who after early exposure to computers at the Bell Labs (1967), returned to microcomputers late in his life. He was not a programmer yet used micros in his practice from the early 1980s, first a BBC in his BP Christmas Star commission, and later a 32-bit Archimedes. This he used from 1989 until his death to produce still images with a fractal generator and the &lsquo;paintbox&rsquo; program, &ldquo;Photodesk&rdquo;. Drawing on archival research and interviews, we focus on three examples of how Ostoja deployed his micro, highlighting the convergence of art, maths, electronics, and a &lsquo;hands-on&rsquo; tinkering ethic in his practice. We argue that when considering the history of creative microcomputing, it is imperative to go beyond the field of art itself. In this case, electronics and the hobbyist computing scenes provide crucial contexts

New Approaches to Molecular Profiling of Tissue Samples

Figures on http://www.esacp.org/acp/2000/20-1/best.htm