15 April 2009

Mapping terrain in space and time: Exclusive interview with JoAnn Kuchera-Morin of the AlloSphere

Dr. JoAnn Kuchera-Morin works on the AlloSphere, one of the largest scientific and artistic instruments in the world. Based at UC Santa Barbara, the AlloSphere maps complex data in time and space. Dr. Kuchera-Morin, a composer, demoed the AlloSphere at TED2009 in February, showing five films of scientific data mapped visually and sonically into compelling art. Last week I talked with Dr. Kuchera-Morin about the AlloSphere -- what it does, how it works, who uses it, and how you turn raw data into sound. From the interview:

Some of my mathematician colleagues are working with 6-dimensional figures. What happens when your math starts to get so complex that you can't draw it by hand anymore? Scientists have such tremendously rich math data that the instruments they use now can't actually see it. You get measurements from it, but can you take those math coordinates that describe it and map it visually and sonically?

There are scientists who have lost the ability to perceive their data. Now they might have the ability to perceive this data again through portals that let them see and hear their data, not just see a string of numbers.

Read the full interview >>

More: If you're around Santa Barbara next week, hear JoAnn Kuchera-Morin's work at the Primavera Festival

More: For a celebration of boundary-breaking science research, read "In search of the black swans," Physicsworld April 2009

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11 March 2009

An interview with Pranav Mistry, the genius behind Sixth Sense

Pranav Mistry is the MIT grad student behind Sixth Sense, a tool that connects the physical world with the world of data. He and his advisor at the MIT Media Lab, Pattie Maes, unveiled Sixth Sense at TED2009, and the Sixth Sense demo premiered yesterday on TED.com -- and in both places, it has fired people's imaginations. The TED Blog spoke with Pranav this morning, to ask him some questions that have arisen on TED.com and at the TED office. From the interview:

Why choose a projector versus goggles?
We actually thought a lot about this. At MIT, lots of research has been done with glasses -- there's even research going on to put information in your contact lenses. But this particular project has an important aspect: We want this thing to merge with the physical world in a real physical sense. You are touching that object and projecting info onto that object. The information will look like it is part of the object.

Read the full interview with Pranav Mistry, after the jump >>

Watch the Sixth Sense demo on TED.com >>

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10 March 2009

Pattie Maes demos the Sixth Sense on TED.com

This demo, from Pattie Maes' lab at MIT (and spearheaded by her student Pranav Mistry), was the buzz of TED2009. Sixth Sense is a wearable device with a projection screen that paves the way for profound, data-rich interaction with our environment. Imagine Minority Report and then some. (Recorded in February 2009 in Long Beach, California. Duration: 08:42.)

Watch the Sixth Sense demo from TED2009 on TED.com, where you can download this TEDTalk, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances from our archive of 390+ TEDTalks -- including more demos.

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23 February 2009

On building blocks: exclusive interview with David Merrill on Siftables

David Merrill is a grad student in the Fluid Interfaces Group at MIT's Media Lab. He and his fellow students in this group work on new technologies that give us more and better abilities to do things we want to do. At TED2009 he gave a demo of his main project, Siftables.

Today the TED Blog interviewed Merrill to get some details about the Siftables project -- and answers to some questions that many have asked since his demo. Here's a snippet:

I have heard so many people say: "My kids will love these. When can I get some?" The realization has been hitting us over the past few months that the potential for kid-oriented interactions is huge and meaningful.

Find the full interview with David Merrill below the fold >>

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17 July 2007

Will Wright previews his new game, Spore, on TED.com

A technical virtuoso with boundless imagination, Will Wright has created a style of computer gaming unlike any that came before, emphasizing learning more than losing, invention more than sport. With his hit game SimCity, he spurred players to make predictions, take risks, and sometimes fail miserably, as they built their own virtual urban worlds. With his follow-up hit, The Sims, he encouraged the same creativity toward building a household, all the while preserving the addictive fun of ordinary video games. His next game, Spore, which he previews here, evolves an entire universe from a single-celled creature. (Recorded March 2007 in Monterey, CA. Duration: 16:49.)

New: Download this talk in high resolution (480p) >>

Watch Will Wright's talk on TED.com, where you can download it, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances.

Read more about Will Wright on TED.com.

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