Physical heart in a digital instrument

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and Planning, Program in Media Arts and Sciences, 2009.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 113-119).Today's tools and instruments, whether musical or graphical, fall into two very distinct classes, each with its own benefits and drawbacks. Traditional physical instruments offer a richness and uniqueness of qualities that result from the unique properties of the physical materials used to make them. The hand-crafted qualities are also very important for these tools. In contrast, electronic and computer-based instruments lack this richness and uniqueness; they produce very predictable and generic results, but offer the advantage of flexibility, as they can be many instruments in one. I propose a new approach to designing and building instruments which attempts to combine the best of both, and I call this approach "hybrid instruments", since the resulting instruments exist simultaneously in both the physical and digital environments. The approach is characterized by a sampling of the instrument's physical matter and its properties and is complemented by a physically simulated, virtual shape or other digital signal manipulations. This thesis describes the key concepts of the approach and presents an actual example of such a hybrid instrument: the Chameleon Guitar. The guitar project contains several aspects: separation of the guitar interface from its acoustic content; division of the acoustic content into a physical part and a digital processing part; and maximization of the user's freedom in each of the domains. I provide a historical and technical overview; discuss related works, motivation and concepts, and present the design of the Chameleon Guitar.(cont.) In addition the project evaluation by musicians and instrument-makers is described, together with future work and conclusions. I hope to demonstrate that this approach to building digital instruments maintains some of the rich qualities and variation found in real instruments (the result of natural materials combined with craft) with the flexibility and open-endedness of virtual instruments.by Amit Zoran.S.M

Physical rendering with a digital airbrush

Airbrush painting is an expressive art form that allows for unrepeatable spray patterns and unique ink staining. Artists utilize these properties while painting, expressing subjective style and artistic intentions. We present an augmented airbrush device that acts both as a physical spraying device and an intelligent digital guiding tool, that maintains both manual and computerized control. We demonstrate our custom designed hardware and numerous algorithms that control it through hands-on usage examples of a human-computer collaborative of a physical painting effort

Turn-by-wire: Computationally mediated physical fabrication

Advances in digital fabrication have simultaneously created new capabilities while reinforcing outdated workflows that constrain how, and by whom, these fabrication tools are used. In this paper, we investigate how a new class of hybrid-controlled machines can collaborate with novice and expert users alike to yield a more lucid making experience. We demonstrate these ideas through our system, Turn-by-Wire. By combining the capabilities of a traditional lathe with haptic input controllers that modulate both position and force, we detail a series of novel interaction metaphors that invite a more fluid making process spanning digital, model-centric, computer control, and embodied, adaptive, human control. We evaluate our system through a user study and discuss how these concepts generalize to other fabrication tools

The FreeD - A Handheld Digital Milling Device for Craft and Fabrication

We present an approach to combine digital fabrication and craft that is focused on a new fabrication experience. The FreeD is a hand-held, digitally controlled, milling device. It is guided and monitored by a computer while still preserving gestural freedom. The computer intervenes only when the milling bit approaches the 3D model, which was designed beforehand, either by slowing down the spindle's speed or by drawing back the shaft. The rest of the time it allows complete freedom, allowing the user to manipulate and shape the work in any creative way. We believe The FreeD will enable a designer to move in between the straight boundaries of established CAD systems and the free expression of handcraft

Inkjet-printed conductive patterns for physical manipulation of audio signals

In this demo paper, we present the realization of a completely aesthetically driven conductive image as a multi-modal music controller. Combining two emerging technologies - rapid prototyping with an off-the-shelf inkjet printer using conductive ink and parametric graphic design, we are able to create an interactive surface that is thin, flat, and flexible. This sensate surface can be conformally wrapped around a simple curved surface, and unlike touch screens, can accommodate complex structures and shapes such as holes on a surface. We present the design and manufacturing flow and discuss the technology behind this multi-modal sensing design. Our work seeks to offer a new dimension of designing sonic interaction with graphic tools, playing and learning music from a visual perspective and performing with expressive physical manipulation

Two-Species Reaction-Diffusion System with Equal Diffusion Constants: Anomalous Density Decay at Large Times

We study a two-species reaction-diffusion model where A+A->0, A+B->0 and B+B->0, with annihilation rates lambda0, delta0 > lambda0 and lambda0, respectively. The initial particle configuration is taken to be randomly mixed with mean densities nA(0) > nB(0), and with the two species A and B diffusing with the same diffusion constant. A field-theoretic renormalization group analysis suggests that, contrary to expectation, the large-time density of the minority species decays at the same rate as the majority when d<=2. Monte Carlo data supports the field theory prediction in d=1, while in d=2 the logarithmically slow convergence to the large-time asymptotics makes a numerical test difficult.Comment: revised version (more figures, claim on exactnes of d=2 treatment removed), 5 pages, 3 figures, RevTex, see related paper Phys. Rev. E, R3787, (1999) or cond-mat/9901147, to appear in Phys. Rev.

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries