The Difficult Transition from Clientelism to Citizenship: Lessons from Mexico

Electoral competition is necessary but not sufficient for the consolidation of democratic regimes; not all elections are free and fair; nor do they necessarily lead to actual civilian rule or respect for human rights. If there is more to democracy than elections, then there is more to democratization than the transition to elections. But in spite of the rich literature on the emergence of electoral competition, the dynamics of political transitions toward respect for other fundamental democratic rights is still not well understood.Political democracy is defined here in classic procedural terms: free and fair electoral contestation for governing offices based on universal suffrage, guaranteed freedoms of association and expression, accountability through the rule of law, and civilian control of the military. Although analyses of democratization typically acknowledge that these are all necessary criteria, most examine only electoral competition. This study, however, develops a framework for explaining progress toward another necessary condition for democratization respect for associational autonomy, which allows citizens to organize in defense of their own interests and identities without fear of external intervention or punishment

Smoke and mirrors to modern computers : rethinking the design and implementation of interactive, location-based entertainment experiences

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and Planning, Program in Media Arts and Sciences, February 2003.P. 244 blank.Includes bibliographical references (p. 237-243).We have yet to create the ultimate interactive experience. Why is that so, and how can that change? How can we increase our chances of getting it right? Interactive, location-based experiences are a new genre and need a new way of thinking about designing them. We also need a better way of dealing with the sophistication of modem technology, enabling us to get to the heart of designing these new interactions. This thesis makes progress in this area by creating a classification system for the space of interactive location-based entertainment experiences. It begins to develop a theory of interactivity as it can be applied to this genre. The theory also guides the birth of a library of interactive design techniques and the development of a design approach as a series of steps and questions that must be answered to complete an experience. It is proposed that across a variety of experience types (games, rides, theater shows and museum installations), the design approach will be similar. It is also hypothesized that given one distinct hardware system, a range of different interactions can be explored. Furthermore, this thesis looks at how technology can be used to aid in the development process by designing a rapid development environment for prototyping new interactions. By establishing a new way of looking at the problem I hope to be able to reach the goal of creating compelling experiences. Through the construction of a new set of tools, this thesis details the fundamental elements of a location-based, interactive attraction and exposes all of the technical, practical and artistic issues that must be resolved to successfully complete and deploy them.by Joshua Andrew Strickon.Ph.D

Design and human-computer interaction applications of a low-cost scanning laser rangefinder

Thesis (M.Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 1999.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 137-140).by Joshua Andrew Strickon.M.Eng

Tracking Hands Above Large Interactive Surfaces with a Low-Cost Scanning Laser Rangefinder

a set of receive electrodes placed about the display perimeter provided signals that corresponded to body distance. Although this system responded well enough to body dynamics and location for its original application, the limited disambiguation from four receive electrodes was unable to result in a repeatable hand tracker without excessively constraining the bodys posture and placement. We have developed an inexpensive scanning laser rangefinder to measure the real-time position of bare hands in a 2-D plane up to distances of several meters. We have used this device to build a precise, multipoint touch - screen interface for large video projection systems. In this paper, we describe the concepts and hardware, plus outline an application for an interactive multimedia environment. Other groups have implemented hand trackers using video cameras and computer vision techniques. Some [3] employ IR light sources and cameras behind a translucent rearprojected screen to see hands near the front, while others [4] use multiple cameras to observe a 2D gesture space. Like most vision approaches, the performance of these systems can suffer from background light (including light from the display itself in the latter case), image clutter, limited speed of response, and the need for multi-camera correspondence. Keywords Laser rangefinder, hand tracker, touchscreen, music interfac

New Sensor and Music Systems for Large Interactive Surfaces

We have developed several systems for tracking hand and body motion in front of large interactive media surfaces, such as rearprojection screens or video walls. In particular, this paper concentrates on a small, inexpensive, phase-measuring scanning laser rangefinder designed to address this niche. This device, mounted below a corner of a screen, can track the position of multiple bare hands in a cleanly-defined plane just above the projection surface to a range of 4 meters and update all measurements at 30 Hz. Unlike most volumetric vision approaches, such as those commonly used in interactive dance projects, this solution is unaffected by background light and optimized for tracking hands close to the screen, yielding prompt, unambiguous results without the need for image processing. We have used this system in several public installations that blend control of music and graphics while exploring the intersection of close-up personal displays with large-scale, "extroverted" interaction. We also introduce complementary sensor techniques that can detect the user activity away from the screen and tactile interactions at the screen surface. We outline three multimedia installations that have used the laser tracker and suggest future implementations