If you find yourself working on an art hack at Digital Sizzle 6 'Art Meets Tech' this weekend, you are welcome to play with the kit that we've brought along. But you may be wondering where to start and what you could do with it - so here's a quick tour of resources for bringing some interactivity to your data art hack.
Good luck and happy hacking!
Processing
Processing isn't a physical device but a programming language/library/environment. It is built around easily creating interactive graphics - so is a natural fit for the weekend.
- We have guides on our learning site for learning to code in Processing.
- The Processing site has a lot of great information as well.
- We also have tutorials on how to access web APIs directly from Processing.
Arduinos
Arduino is a beginner-friendly microcontroller platform that lets you interact with the real world through sensors and actuators.
- We have a bunch of tutorials on our learning site to guide you through the basics.
- The Arduino site and forum are two other great places for tutorials and reference.
- If you need any electrical components that we didn't bring along, remember that there's a Maplin nearby that is open over the weekend.
Kinect
The Kinect is a camera that when combined with the open source library OpenNI lets you track people. We have used it in workshop to create and musical instruments.
Below is a video of what some students in our workshops have made.
Projection Mapping
Projection mapping uses a projector to project a still or moving image onto a 3D object. It can create a much more compelling display than projecting onto a flat wall. Our guide on our learning site can get you started using Processing to create projections.