Apollo Beyond

Public Showing

2006-06-07T15:23:00.000-07:00

About 120 people showed up to the Forum. We had to limit the experience to only 6 people at a time and 15 minutes per group. At one point we had a wait list with people signing up an hour in advance to experience it. For those who couldn't get inside, a web cam inside showed the people and action in the room while a second monitor relayed the live 3D AR view so people could still see what was going on and experience it vicariously.

All-in-all about 50-60 people went through. About 6 people stuck around until nearly 10pm when we "dialed in" the secret glyphs to initiate the finale movie.

We had a LOT of compliments and even had the Dean, Carl Bellone, stop by and compliment the project. James wants us to keep it open a little longer. We'll probably do that this coming week then finish documenting it and tearing it down.

Committee Review

2006-05-31T15:21:00.000-07:00

Most everything working except the final age secret keys. Have a backdoor allowing us to access the final movie that ties all the ages together, but the movie's sound needs to be re-edited prior to the public showing on June 7th.

Stories Finished

2006-05-21T15:18:00.000-07:00

All the movies for the various ages' stories have been exported as image sequences and entered into either the Omphalos DART application or the Oracle DART application. Still working on the sound editing and the final Age movie.

5.1 Surround Sound

2006-05-01T15:16:00.000-07:00

Installed 5.1 Surround Sound system for the room. Tested Curtis' readings over it. Sweeet!

VOG ("Voice 'o God")

2006-04-29T15:04:00.000-07:00

Got together with Curtis and recorded him reading the Voice Over scripts for the various stories for the Ages. Sounds good. Needs some editing, but will be awesome.

Scripts for the Stories

2006-04-27T15:02:00.000-07:00

Finished the scripts for the remaining Ages and the final Content story.

More Elemental Phicon stuff

2006-04-21T14:52:00.000-07:00

We reprinted and retrained the phicon marker patterns and tested them. They seem to work okay despite the lower light levels seen as a result of the electronics re-orientation.

Elementals turned upside-down

2006-04-20T14:48:00.000-07:00

Checked the wiring for our Elemental phicons. Took the electronics and reconfigured them so that the LED now points up and the battery holder is on the bottom. This prevents the uneven light "hotspot" from the LED seen in the center of the marker pattern before. However, the marker pattern is darker, in general, now due to the change.

AR "Magic Window" Handles

2006-04-19T14:46:00.000-07:00

Figured out how to securely attach and engineer a frame and handles to hold the AR viewer in the "Magic Window" configuration.

More Greek Altar Mods

2006-04-18T14:41:00.000-07:00

We found that the probability of someone losing the single, central marker on the Greek Altar's tabletop very high while trying to light fire. Therefore, a set of additional symbols were printed, affixed to the tabletop, and trained. Those include four variations of symbols representing Zeus and the three astrological fire signs (Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius). Testing with the added markers seems to show that the 3D objects are securely tracked and anchored at nearly all angles, positions, and orientations around the table.

Earth Age Phicons & AR Power

2006-04-13T14:27:00.000-07:00

Finished the other 3 Earth Age phicons (electronics, markers, & pattern training). Wired the battery system for the AR viewer.

Greek Table Fire

2006-04-12T14:38:00.000-07:00

The AR viewer with the new lens was having difficulty seeing the edge of the fire symbol on the fennel branch correctly, so it was reprinted with more white space around its edge then tested. Seems okay.

New AR Lens

2006-04-11T14:35:00.000-07:00

Attached and recalibrated new lens for AR viewer giving a wider FOV. Unfortunately, we couldn't use the pinhole type because it didn't let in enough light and the image was too dark. So we went with a standard lens.

The Temple

2006-04-10T14:30:00.000-07:00

Finished the shrouds and lighting for the Temple environment.

Calibration Breakthrough

2006-03-28T19:00:00.000-08:00

Redid the TUI camera calibration with new aspect ratio (640x480) and de-interlace. Worked on the Mayan table facade and cut the renaissance table down to size. Also recalibrated the AR viewer lens. Finished putting faux stone covering over Mayan altar pedestal. Worked on hanging shrouds and spotlights for the environment.

Mayan Table Facade and New Lens Search

2006-03-24T14:36:00.000-08:00

Continued working on the Mayan table facade. Also searched for a new lens for The AR viewer. Couldn't find any suitable lens alternatives.

DART Plus the Mayan Table Facade

2006-03-23T14:32:00.000-08:00

Did the calibration for the wireless color camera for the AR viewer, with less than satisfactory results. Tested DART's Wizard-Puppet template apps between the two PCs with much better results than between the PC and Mac. Started working on Mayan table facade. Discussed TUI tabletop options in light of our camera problem.

TUI Tests

2006-03-22T14:46:00.000-08:00

Adjusted the Earth Phicon file after noticing the strange behavior of two of the faces.

TUI Camera

2006-03-22T14:22:00.000-08:00

Changed lens to the wide angle that will see entire tabletop. Troubleshot and retrained Greek phicon markers.

Compuer Problem Solved

2006-03-21T14:50:00.000-08:00

Housekeeping

2006-03-17T15:17:00.000-08:00

Spent the day reorganizing and cleaning up the installation/old kiln room before we start the last phase of the project(getting it done).

Forum

2006-03-15T23:48:00.000-08:00

Presented our project in progress at the forum.

Gavin gave us some tips on how to troubleshoot our non-functional computer.

2006-03-13T23:48:00.000-08:00

Took still shots from the video of the calibration pattern for the black and white camera. Here are two versions of the exact same image. One is "as is", or how the camera sees the pattern raw. The other is after distortion factors were computed and then inversely applied so as to "undistort" or correct the image. This is how the video stream is calibrated--basically just an undistort filter applied to the stream before it is fed into the tracking algorithms in DART/ARToolkit.

2006-03-10T22:46:00.000-08:00

Installed the latest version of ARToolkit on my mac so we could train the markers in the proper light tomorrow

3D Content

2006-03-06T16:06:00.000-08:00

Exported the Greek Man in w3d so that we'll have some augmented content for the AR viewer for the upcoming forum presentation.

Kensington Lock

2006-03-01T10:49:00.000-08:00

Got the kensington lock yesterday and today we permanently installed the projector in the old kiln room.

Technology Diagram

2006-02-26T22:18:00.000-08:00

Created a diagram showing the technical setup of our project for the research competition and eventually our thesis paper. Completed a mock up of our floor pattern layout in illustrator for the research competition paper. Also started working on the content for the standby mode of the AR viewer.

Age Montages and Research Competition

2006-02-25T23:02:00.000-08:00

Stephen started reworking our thesis paper to reflect the development our project has undergone over the last few months. This will also help with our CSU research competition application. I worked on the age montages that will be the standby mode for the AR viewer.

Serendipity at Radio Shack

2006-02-24T17:36:00.000-08:00

Went to Radio Shack to buy more pc boards for our tool objects. As we were leaving Stephen noticed that amid the remodelling the store was undergoing, workers were pulling up the carpet pieces. They said we could take them so Stephen went dumpster diving and got aroung 45 1.5 x1.5 foot pieces. We spent the afternoon cleaning them and arranging them in different ways to layou the space of our installation. It really changed the energy of the space. We will probably get some white vinyl to complete the design. Also downloaded and installed Dart on the second PC. Worked on montage for the Greek age.

Camera Issues

2006-02-23T17:58:00.000-08:00

Bought the rest of the magnets. Bought some pc boards. Installed the rest of the magnets on the table. Asked Gavin about the Camera for our second PC. The lack of availability of a camera right now proved demoralizing. Picked up an application for the CSU reasearch grant.

First Cube Wired...Success

2006-02-22T16:11:00.000-08:00

Wired the first cube(greek/amber) today. It goes on automatically and turns off when placed on our magnet on/off base. Success!

Wiring the First Cube, Testing the Video Sender, etc.

2006-02-21T15:12:00.000-08:00

Worked on the art for the tool cubes. Created colored arrows for the table/floor projection. Also finished and glued the Greek table marker down. Tested our new video sender. It performed much better right out of the box than the previous one, however removing the top half of the metal case and replacing it with a plastic one dramatically improved it's transmission power. We still have issues withour portable tv though, and we plan to insert some spacers inside the case to prevent user handling of it from affecting the circuitry inside.

More Construction

2006-02-20T16:05:00.000-08:00

Stephen worked to balance the projector and mount its cables to the ceiling. Song finished screwing in the masonite to the base of the Mayan table. Set up the PC and projected from it in the old kiln room.

Construction

2006-02-17T21:27:00.000-08:00

Worked on calculations for the projection and rehung the projector. Cut pieces of masonite/wood for covering the crates that make up the base for the Mayan table and started screwing them in. Started modifying the plastic cube for our under table camera. Glued the fire marker to our fennel branch.

Calculations

2006-02-16T15:48:00.000-08:00

Worked on calculations regarding the size of mirror we'd need for our projection the be big enough and still maintain the symetry of the light triangles. Came to the conclusion that the mirror would have to be much bigger than it is practical. Met with Scott and James(photography) who leant us a wide angle lens adapter. Perhaps we can rig it for use with our projector. Started working on the standby mode for our table projection.

Hung the Projector

2006-02-15T15:58:00.000-08:00

Picked up our mirror and plastic magnet covers. Installed the magnets and covers on five of the table trays. Stephen hung the projector and mirror. Discoved the mirror was not quite big enough. Also Song saw that the excess light hat was spilling over the corners of the tables could be used as part of the interface by adding arrows that point to each of the period tables.

Crossing off Items on the List ++

2006-02-14T22:18:00.000-08:00

Went to tap plastics to order mirror and on/off switch covers. Assembled greek table including attaching the chariot. Worked on flash animation of stanby mode for our tangible table. Tested the carvability of dry sand (faux stone) facade.

The Table is Almost There, etc.

2006-02-13T22:29:00.000-08:00

Cut the excess film from to acrylic tabletop. Glued some of the magnets in place for our on/off platforms for the tangible tools/cubes. Started worh on the standby mode for our TUI table. Added felt feet to the Greek pedestal to level the table. Stephen drilled holes in the greek pedestal for mounting the faux marble top. He also calculated the size requirements for our mirror.

Chariot and Mayan Calendar Simulation

2006-02-12T22:08:00.000-08:00

Added the sun symbol wheels to the body of the chariot. Also tweaked the Mayan calendar simulation.

Chariot Physical Model

2006-02-11T22:05:00.000-08:00

Started building the physical model of the chariot. In order to make it fairly accurate to the 3D model i used orthagonal vies as the guides/template.

Mayan Calander Wheels Simulation-New Configuration

2006-02-10T22:12:00.000-08:00

In an effort to test the new wheel in wheel configuration as opposed to the original side by side plan I made a flash version of the wheels and tested different building alignment positions.

Also in an effort to prepare for our forum presentation Stephen an I put together an exhaustive list of tasks to be completed in the next few weeks.

Work, work, work.

2006-02-08T13:23:00.000-08:00

Tried new adhesive/sand combo using wallpaper paste to emulate a stone surface for the Mayan Age. We felt this would be good due to it's lower cost and the large surface area we'd need to cover. We also did some work on a Flash simulation of the Mayan calendar wheels to both help with discerning how sightline alignments will work with different configurations as well as content clues in explaining the system to users in the project. Finished patching and painting the octagon table frame. We also worked out the details for what we'd need to do our wheels with the newly designed configuration. We ordered the necessary hardware to do this, but will wait on remaking our construction templates until after the hardware arrives to ensure that we have the correct dimensions.

Re-inventing the Wheel...

2006-02-07T13:33:00.000-08:00

We returned the antennas we purchased and Song ordered a new video sender. She also returned the erroneous phicon batteries we received. We got the keys to the old Kiln room. Worked some on painting the octagon table. Song designed some backgounds for our elemental phicons to communicate which solids go with which element. We were going to construct the Mayan Calendar wheels when I realized that I had forgotten one of the necessary tools. To tidy up since we had to wait til I brought the tool, I placed the smaller wheel template in the center of the larger wheel template. Inspiration struck that we might be able to construct the wheels within each other. Song and I discussed whether this would be worth taking extra time to figure out and whether or not it was even possible. It dawned on us that it might be possible but we'd have to research a few things first to work out construction details and determine what the implications would be for the content if we followed through with this change. We decided to pursue this the next day.

UHF reception and Moving (again)

2006-02-06T13:47:00.000-08:00

Song received the batteries for our phicons. Though the packing list said the batteries were the ones we ordered, the shipped items were the wrong type.

We spent most of the day analyzing different antenna's and the reception of our video sender's signal on our LCD TV. We tried: a larger broadcast antenna, a "bowtie" uhf receiver antenna, an external telescoping antenna, a loop uhf antenna, and a uhf antenna amplifier. None of these seemed to make one difference to the reception/signal we saw. It often cuts out and simply doesn't seem to broadcast very far at all. However, after straightening some wireloops on the video sender board as well as messing with the antenna, we discovered that it had a very LARGE broadcast range and provided an incredible picture without the use of ANY external antennas on our TV! Some of these issues we had already touched upon earlier but apparently had not fixed adequately, and unfortunately, would require extensive rebuilding beyond our immediate means to correct properly. We decided we'd get a replacement video sender since we were now satisfied it would do the job we need it to.

We also got official access to the old Kiln room though we will have to wait for keys. We spent the rest of our time cleaning it up.

Urban Ore Shopping again

2006-02-02T14:38:00.000-08:00

We decided to check out Urban Ore again for wood and table parts. Instead we came back with a greek column (table base) and a renaissance-looking table. Instead of doing all the same type of table, we're going to customize tables for each age! Creativity really seems to be flowing this week!

In doing more uhf reception tests, we discovered that some of the electronics in our LCD TV are messed up. It appears that something is getting squashed internally when it's held just right and it causes a short that gives whacky displays and spurious operation.

Wiring Schematic for AR Viewer

2006-02-01T14:34:00.000-08:00

We figured out how to possibly power up all our devices using the wireless gamepad controller's on/off button and drew a rough schematic. We also spent a lot of time working on testing our Black & White camera. We need a slightly wider lens (I'll order tonight or tomorrow) and it also appears that it is way too sensitive in the dark given its auto-iris and gain to recognize previously trained symbols. We might need to get a different camera or maybe simply retraining with this camera will be sufficient. In any case, the camera seems to work very well, though we almost blew it when our universal power adapter failed and sent too much voltage (+50%) through the camera!

Also finalized wiring diagram for cubes.

Reed Switch tests

2006-01-31T14:27:00.000-08:00

Tested our new reed switch arrangement idea with the large magnets. It looks like this will definitely work. We ordered the AR viewer batteries, charger, and the rest of the phicon electronics (save for possibly different LEDs).

Gathering Supplies

2006-01-30T13:28:00.000-08:00

Got some weights, wood circles, magnets for our installation and tangible table. Also got a piece of used furniture free from craiglist. I thought we could dissasseble it and use the wood for our mayan calender wheels. Alas it turned out to be too small.

Reed Switch tests

2006-01-28T14:19:00.000-08:00

We tested our elemental phicon reed switches with rubberized magnets of different strengths but weren't able to trigger the mechanism. We need to look to other options than lining the table trays with rubberized magnetic liner.

Man and His Symbols

2006-01-28T13:45:00.000-08:00

As per Scott's sugestion I got a copy of Jung's "Man and His Symbols".

Video, Table, Computer, & Switches

2006-01-27T15:00:00.000-08:00

Replaced metal casing with plastic one. Placed and epoxied leg mounts to table. Bought a new s-video adapter for our computer output that doesn't lose color signal. We also tested our reed switches with magnets to determine which ones would work and devised a circuit schematic to ensure the cube lights would turn off no matter which side was placed down (using 2 reed switches per cube).

We also got the second PC we'll be needing from Gavin.

UHF Video issues and First Practical Test of Wireless AR Viewing!

2006-01-26T14:42:00.000-08:00

After messing with our UHF transmitter, we came to the realization that something inside was loose. We determined it to be the antenna. We tried to solder the antenna back on and ended up changing its attachment by drilling through the PCB and screwing an antenna mount into it. It appears that the metal housing also seems to sheild the transmission signal quite a bit.

We then set up our wireless camera receiver and discovered that it worked better than we thought before. It's transmission problems were fixed by utilizing a stronger power source. We'll need to get AC adapters to eliminate such problems with all the equipment that doesn't have to be a part of the mobile AR viewer.

Next we setup a mock test of our theoretical loop for wireless AR. LCD TV tuned to Ch. 24 along with wireless camera and some AR markers on one side of room; wireless camera receiver plugged into our DV Camera Bridge, DV Bridge software and DART running on the computer, and UHF video sender attached to computer video output and set to Ch. 24. Our test actually worked!! We got 30fps augmented reality images appearing on our LCD TV through the wireless/uhf loop!!

YAY!!!

Issues: UHF transmission quality and loss of color signal through our S-Video (computer output) to RCA component video adapter (UHF transmitter input).

More Table work

2006-01-25T14:39:00.000-08:00

Purchased additional hardware, prepped, and reaffixed the legs to the table in their new configuration. We also got our UHF video sender to work but not well and not in color.

Mayan Calander Wheels Template

2006-01-24T15:09:00.000-08:00

Created a template for the Mayan calandar wheels.

Table work

2006-01-24T14:34:00.000-08:00

Took inner frame and legs off table. Determined how the legs would be reattached so as not to obscure the view of the center of the table.

Faux Stone

2006-01-23T21:15:00.000-08:00

Painted a small test plank of wood with sand, glue and paint to see if I could get a reasonable faux stone look. This will enable us to make a set of gears out of wood for our Mayan calendar and still get a stone-like look. This test worked reasonably well.

Finished Modern Age Research

2006-01-19T14:30:00.000-08:00

Finished the research for the Modern Age Content and Puzzle Tie-ins. Just have to chop it up into Presentation pieces to be associated with the various tools used in the interface.

Modern Age Puzzle/Content Research

2006-01-15T14:28:00.000-08:00

Did research into the possible content/puzzle tie-ins for the Modern Age. Subjects being investigated include Rocketry, Nazi War Machine & Party History, symbological signifigance and history of Swastika, crop circles, UFO's, and Foo Fighters.

Mayan/16th Century Puzzle Research

2006-01-12T13:42:00.000-08:00

Continued work on Mayan tool clues/tie-ins. Also started researching links between the orobourus and alchemy, as well as the greek origins of this symbol and its relationship to the mmilkyway/mayan end date in 2012.

Mayan Puzzle Research

2006-01-12T13:40:00.000-08:00

Determined which dates will be used for the puzzle and which astronomical alignments and buildings will be used. Tools still being worked out as far as which aspects/clues will be revealed with which.

Greek Myth/Puzzle Research

2006-01-09T13:38:00.000-08:00

Defined our puzzles and tools for the Greek Age. They will revolve around the myth of Prometheus, Apollo, Chiron, the gift of fire to man, and the Milky Way.

The Da Vinci Code (continued)

2006-01-08T21:15:00.000-08:00

Finished reading The Da Vinci Code. There are alot of riddles and double meanings in words and symbols. Hopfully this will help us formulate the story which will tie all our ages together.

The Da Vinci Code

2006-01-06T21:11:00.000-08:00

Started reading The Da Vinci Code in hopes that it will provide inspiration for our puzzles.

Testing

2006-01-05T13:23:00.000-08:00

Picked up our smaller acrylic cubes for the tool set. Later we tested some of our video broadcast gear with our LCD TV. Unfortunately, we weren't able to get it to tune in the video broadcast. We may need an external VHF antenna or a transmitter that sends on higher frequencies (UHF) that the LCD TV seems to be able pick up ok.

Content Research

2006-01-04T13:15:00.000-08:00

Went over some of our battery options. Discussed puzzles and started researching for ideas for the types of puzzle we may use to tie the ages together.

Research - Mayan Puzzle

2005-12-20T19:08:00.000-08:00

Did more research to figure out the puzzle for the Mayan age. Tried to find a common thread that would connect it with the Greek period.

Also, went to get our wireless controller from CompUsa. After holding the Saitek and the Thrustmaster one more time, we decided to purchase the wireless Saitek. Happily it was on sale.

More Work on the Solids

2005-12-19T16:04:00.000-08:00

Worked on sanding down the Perfect Solids to create even/hard edges that appear stonelike rather than claylike.

Platonic (Perfect) Solids

2005-12-17T17:22:00.000-08:00

Contructed a set of perfect solids from polymer clay for possible use as our "tool" objects.

More on gamepads

2005-12-16T16:04:00.000-08:00

Song found a few other options that looked good. However, in the end they didn't have what we wanted in a controller. This sparked us to keep looking. We ended up back at our first two choices. We're going to schedule another trip back out to see them to make our final purchasing decision.

Spent the rest of the day determining how we will power the AR viewer. Looked at different battery packs and discussed how much power we'd need, how we'd connect it, house it, charge it, etc. The thought occurred we could use a standard laptop battery and we could swap these out with Song's G4 battery, but this may have connectivity issues as well as management issues (i.e. is the other battery charged, where's the laptop to charge it, etc.). Stephen is leaning toward a barebones battery pack for cheap and having a few for swapping out and charging. Song said she'd try to find a suitable connector for the laptop battery before we make a decision.

Wireless gamepad Research

2005-12-15T16:01:00.000-08:00

Spent the entire day looking at more gamepad options. Since we're going PC now, we no longer care if the controller is Mac compatible or not. We honed in on two main options. We drove out to a few retailers to see and feel these controllers. We're going to sleep on it.

AR Camera (never get tired of this topic)

2005-12-14T15:58:00.000-08:00

To a certain degree we're having to just jump in and buy this camera. It's the closest we can tell to what we want, when one considers the possibility that it appears some misinformation or errors about its specs were posted. We're leaping in and buying this one, however we have a back-up plan with regard to its FOV--we have found a vendor for replacement pinhole lenses which we could use to match our specs if needed.

Also stopped by Al Lasher's and picked up a CR2477 battery to complete the parts needed for our cube lighting.

AR Camera (never get tired of this topic)

2005-12-13T15:56:00.000-08:00

We made the trip out to Concord to visit Fry's. It wasn't "all that". But we did buy our cube lighting resistors and a little board to possibly mount the LEDs onto.

Did more research on AR Camera options. After much math, we think we might have the camera we want picked out already but we want an email confirming a few things from the seller.

UHF video transmitter purchase

2005-12-12T15:52:00.000-08:00

Did some final research for our UHF transmitter and selected one. Purchased this for about $30. It can transmit over a number of possible channels between Ch. 14 and 26 (or something like that). Point is, we have options.

Another Modern Symbol

2005-12-10T14:14:00.000-08:00

I had the idea that dna would be a good symbol/marker for the modern age. I drew a dna helix that is unraveling on the end.

More camera research

2005-12-09T15:48:00.000-08:00

Needing to get our technological equipment together, we did more camera research for our AR Viewer.

Apollo Through the Ages

2005-12-08T22:22:00.000-08:00

Stephen and I discussed not using the Apollo animation for the Greek time period, but instead as a finale that plays once the puzzles have been solved. It could be used like a movie sequence in a video game, and Apollo can ride through the ages tying them all together.

Window Treatment Practice

2005-12-08T15:33:00.000-08:00

Song and I did a full treatment of a large piece of glass to practice applying the film and to see if results were better with our ProtoTUI when the surface was more uniform. Viewing the table from below (camera angle), we saw that shadows on the table surface cast by the overhead projector itself may be interfering with the marker identification. We also saw how direct light projections of any significant intensity would disturb the camera's auto-exposure/auto-gain settings and throw the marker tracking off.

These observations led to a few ideas. First, due to the sensitivity from shadows, lighting for our table exhibits should come from slightly behind the exhibit table (in front of the viewer) to minimize shadows cast across the surface with the markers caused by the participant (for example, if the light were behind the participant toward the table exhibit). Second, multipoint lighting should be used to eliminate harsh shadows across the tabletops. Third, an opaque area placed in the center of the table directly between the camera and the projector could prevent bright, high-contrast lights that are moving across the table from sending too much light directly into the camera's iris and causing settings to change and marker tracking problems. We may also want to determine the EXACT manual settings we'd need to use though some camera chips are made to do their own auto-adjustments anyway.

Horse Gallup...Success

2005-12-07T17:05:00.000-08:00

Worked on the horse again today, it now looks mostly convincing as it leaps into action from a trot cycle to a gallup. I will turn this in tonight. We also have our thesis review tonight.

Horse Gallup

2005-12-06T19:06:00.000-08:00

With Stephen's help I got the animation for the horse started.

ProtoARViewer & ProtoTUI

2005-12-06T14:36:00.000-08:00

Spent time today putting together the demonstrations for the committe review of our AR Viewer and TUI technology progress. Researched some of Phil's work for demo content and added music from Carl Sagan's old show "Cosmos"--beauty, eh!

With Song's help, we finalized the puzzle-piece type object tracking designs and incorporated them into our TUI prototype. Got it all running. We discussed some other content scenarios and Song did some concept drawings of some of the Age puzzles. Song suggested the idea of doing a Mayan temple model ON the calendar wheel of the Mayan Age puzzle.

Animating the Horse

2005-12-05T22:17:00.000-08:00

Started animating the horse using the modified savekey scrip that andrew made to aid in the animation of the biped. Results were less than stellar. The horses legs move wildly and in slow motion. I will erase the key frames I created tonight and start fresh tommorrow. I think a keyframe every three frames will be better than every ten (so he won't be in slow motion).

Review Documentation

2005-12-05T14:32:00.000-08:00

Song and I sat down and put together a summary of the work we did over the Fall term and went over what we would show to the committee.

DART Discoveries

2005-11-30T13:26:00.000-08:00

After much frustrating work, discovered how to do synchronized audio/video textures in DART. Also got positional cues to work for a single tracker near static/actor "zones" on the Mac but still haven't had success doing so with 2 trackers at the same time. I emailed the developers at Georgia Tech for help on this. They say they'll look into it.

Modern Markers

2005-11-29T20:23:00.000-08:00

Started creating the markers we will use for the modern period.

More on Phicon internals and the "Magic Light"

2005-11-29T13:11:00.000-08:00

The high-flux LEDs arrived today for the internal lighting of the phicons. Discovered a nice, lightweight, small battery with a high capacity to use as the internal lighting power source for our Phicons. The CR2477 coin-type battery is 24mm x 7.7mm, 10g, and has 1000mAH capacity equating to some 9 hours of use before going dead based on 120mAH used by the 6 internal LEDs. However, even so, we calcuated that we would burn through these batteries very quickly during troubleshooting and testing and during presentations. At $25 per set to power all the phicons, this quickly looked bad--on the order of a few hundred to several hundred dollars of our budget just to light up our phicons over the course of the project. We then got the idea to place a 3-wire Magnetic Reed switch into the lighting circuit and hooking the LEDs up to the "Normally Closed" contact. Then we would place "rubber magnet" material in the bottom of our table's tray areas. When the reed switches came near the magnetic material, the contacts would then open. Thereby, the phicons would turn themselves off whenever one intuitively placed the phicons in their resting trays. Granted this would only work with certain cube orientations unless a more complex system were installed, this is an infinitely better solution than having to constantly open the cubes up and tearing everything apart to switch them off to save the batteries every couple of minutes when working back and forth. It will also be a cool factor for the user to experience.

A sample battery holder for the CR2477 was also ordered for installation in the phicon prototype.

More Mayan Symbol Markers

2005-11-28T17:42:00.000-08:00

Finished drawing the symbols of the Mayan Tzolkin Cycle (days). In addition I drew the Mayan Haab (month) symbols.

Camera Specs Again

2005-11-28T12:53:00.000-08:00

A thought occured that we might not want the specs we thought we wanted for our AR viewer camera. We did the math originally to establish specs for a camera optimized to created a more seamless "magic window" effect for average eye-to-viewer and viewer-to-content distances. However, my feeling is that people will tend to want to "close in" on the content to experience the AR in greater detail at times. With our current camera specs, markers would be clipped from view many inches before the viewer got near the content, and in many cases, the content may even be offset from the markers to begin with causing even greater problems with the markers being clipped from view (and hence AR content cutting out). For this reason, a wider FOV camera is probably a much better choice than our "seamless" spec'd camera. However, around 90 degrees FOV or so, the content would be so small and dwarfed within the wide angle view that it would really detract from the effect in my opinion. Therefore, new calculations seem to indicate a nice compromise of around 78 degrees FOV. We will restart our search for such a camera. We might already have a few models logged that we previously discounted.

Mayan Symbol Markers

2005-11-25T17:26:00.000-08:00

Worked on the marker set for the mayan time period. I have drawn most of the symbols from the Mayan Tzolkin cycle.

Rethinking Things

2005-11-25T12:39:00.000-08:00

After having done our little tests with the gamepad in the Grad Lab, a thought occured to me that the gamepad controller we had previously picked out may not be right for us. In attaching the display to the controller, too much weight would be placed forward of the user's hands making it not very comfortable to hold for long periods and somewhat cumbersome. It would also not be weighted and shaped right to easily lay down. The Microsoft Wingman that we used in our tests would allow for the display to be mounted more in-line with the controller. It had long enough handles to be comfortably held and operated if the display was attached in this way, balanced more directly over the hands. This would also make it the perfect shape to easily set down flat upon a table in a stable position. We should look for a similar type controller, and it is likely that such a simplified controller (compared to our previous pick) will come already configured to be used wirelessly on the PC/Mac.

Also, prior to actually laying down the money for our AR Viewer camera, we did a little more research to confirm that it met our specs as we believed. We found some conflicting info. We will investigate further.

Research, Tabletop, SaveKey

2005-11-23T21:36:00.000-08:00

Did more research for the AR viewer camera, TX/RX system, and uhf transmitter. We checked our AR viewer (tv) to see if channel 59 was available as one of the uhf transmitters we were looking at broadcasts to this channel. It appears to be available.

We picked up the acrylic tabletop.

Andrew showed us how to use a savekey script to make the keyframing process of animating in Softimage more animated. I also got from him a reference sheet for the walk cycle of a horse.

Research - AR Viewer Camera

2005-11-23T21:32:00.000-08:00

Started researching camera and TX RX options for the AR viewer. While we wer doing this Stephen had the idea to lighten the viewr even more by using a uhf transmitter so that we will not have to attach a video receiver to the AR viewer.

Ghost in the Shell

2005-11-23T21:27:00.000-08:00

As per Scott's recommendation I rented "Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence." It has some stunning 3D graphics.

Communication and Control

2005-11-23T11:47:00.000-08:00

1. Investigated positional cues in DART and discovered that the Mac couldn't track two markers separately at the same time. This did work on the PC, however.

2. We also figured out how to send data between platforms (but not DART's supplied cue-system) and what information can be sent.

3. Figured out how to augment video with live textual data (including model 3D position and rotational information).

4. Researched various methods of accessing gamepad controller data from within Director and tested some to little avail. We decided that using a keyboard wedge-type hack like "Game Companion" might be robust enough for our project and easier and faster to implement. We test this by hooking up a gamepad, installing "Game Companion", and sending gamepad controller data from one computer to the other successfully. Related to this, we figured out how to hide the cursor to keep it's movements from distracting from the AR display while using Game Companion since it emulates a mouse with the gamepad in some instances.

5. We also researched more AR cameras and narrowed our choice to 2 models (including the 402c) based on our specs.

Interface Design

2005-11-22T11:22:00.000-08:00

Song and I spent most of the day discussing and going over tabletop interface designs and functionality. We came up with start and end schemas that fit into our idea of a puzzle that invites exploration and solution using intuitive cues. Initially, colored squares matching the colors of the Age Phicons will randomly flash on the tabletop surface encouraging the user to place a colored Age Phicon onto the tabletop. A single Age Phicon will change the whole table top surface giving an overview of the age along with an invitation to explore this age/culture's relationship to the Cosmos. This content would orient to any angle around the table based on the orientation of the Phicon so anyone could view the content right-side up from any direction that the table was approached.

In addition to the 4 Age Phicons, 4 tools (Earth, Sky, Sun, Planets/Sea?) will cue the user to use them by projecting jigsaw puzzle-like silhouette graphics around them on the table where they are placed. Intuitively, one would realize that the tool pieces should be "fit" next to the Age Phicons, which have the inverse jigsaw patter projected around them. Each tool would reveal an aspect of the culture's relationship within the tool context. A small content window displaying content in either Flash or video format would open on the tabletop near the tool phicon's position and would track with it so the user could move it around to a different position for viewing.

Two Age Phicon's upon the tabletop at the same time would initiate a final puzzle to be solved if desired. The tabletop would change to the same squares as the tabletop's beginning state except that these 4 colored squares would be next to each other in a particular sequence. Associating the cues from before, this would encourage the user to place the 4 colored Age Phicons on the tabletop at the same time in the given order. However, the puzzle would not unlock unless each Phicon's pattern appearing right-side up correctly matched the solution symbol given as a reward for solving each Age's puzzle.

We also as a tangent researched Mayan Calendar systems and learned about their cycles. We think the Haab calendar system might be easiest to adapt to a puzzle one could quickly understand versus the Tzolkin system which may be too different to be grasped in the short time one will have to experience the project.

Apollo's Body

2005-11-21T23:14:00.000-08:00

Added the bone structure to the model for Apollo. I will learn how to animate this in Softimage on Wednesday.

Gamepad Controller Research

2005-11-21T11:13:00.000-08:00

Looked around for wireless Mac/PC gamepad controllers or ways to modify standard controllers to be wireless. Found a few controllers that looked like that would work form factor-wise ("Gamester USA FPS" for PS2) but would need a wireless adapter. The form is nice since it is designed for First Person Shooter games, having a more pistol-like grip that would make holding the AR Viewer easier and more comfortable for extended periods.

We also researched and found USB adapters and drivers allowing the use of PS2 and XBox on the PC/Mac, including "Game Companion" for Mac OS X.

Assault on the Airwaves

2005-11-18T11:01:00.000-08:00

Dropped off our template for the acrylic tabletop.

While researching 1.2GHz video TX/RX products, it dawned on us that we could utilize our AR Viewer's TV receiver to receive UHF video transmissions. This would help us in 3 ways:

1) Less equipment incorporated means less weight added to the AR Viewer rig.
2) No added receiver means less equipment to power and, therefore, longer battery life / wireless AR content viewing.
3) Less time spent hooking up and wiring the video receiver to the AR Viewer rig.

Began researching available UHF video transmitters. They appear to be within our price range ($100-$150) and transmit on UHF Ch. 59 (434MHz).

Hanging the Projector

2005-11-17T10:57:00.000-08:00

Tried the PC DV bridge again to no avail. The PC seems to be the right computer for this project save for this problem of getting our analog video signals into DART. We might want to look at some way to do this again and going PC instead of Mac as we are currently leaning.

Bought supplies to hang the projector in the Grad Lab for testing. Had to modify some hardware to do this but eventually got it hung quite soundly. Spent the rest of the evening doing artistic photography utilizing music visualization graphics projected onto a table and ourselves. Cool.

Tabletop and Lots of Stuff

2005-11-16T10:04:00.000-08:00

Went to Blick's to get a re-stickable adhesive to enable switching graphics in our phicon's internal support. We then went to East Bay Depot to see if they had anything useful. We found an Apollo 11 video and purchased it for $1. We went to Cobel Glass and got estimates on the size and price of an octagonal glass top. After consideration of this, we are leaning towards the use of acrylic as our tabletop material. It will be 1/2 - 1/3 the weight and about as strong and similar in price without the risk of shattering.

Stephen worked on figuring out how to do video texturing in the Shockwave 3D world. Since DART's video actor is clunky the attempt was made to use Flash video instead and map the SWF to the Shockwave 3D object (or plane). DART could not do this in realtime. Stephen also found some clues to getting the DVCam to work as a bridge on the PC, thereby reviving the possiblity of our previous intentions.

With Andrew Cho's help, Song rigged her horse model to a skeleton. Next week animation will be tackled.

We established where and how we will hang our projector during our test phase in the Grad Lab. Mounting hardware was purchased to place the projector on the ceiling. The projector we got has vertical and horizontal flip modes as well as mounting points allowing us to hang it upside down and correctly orient the image. It also has distortion correction features.

Gavin confirmed that we could use the department's microphone stands at table bases for our mini-exhibits.

Apollo Beyond

Public Showing

Committee Review

Stories Finished

5.1 Surround Sound

VOG ("Voice 'o God")

Scripts for the Stories

More Elemental Phicon stuff

Elementals turned upside-down

AR "Magic Window" Handles

More Greek Altar Mods

Earth Age Phicons & AR Power

Greek Table Fire

New AR Lens

The Temple

Calibration Breakthrough

Mayan Table Facade and New Lens Search

DART Plus the Mayan Table Facade

TUI Tests

TUI Camera

Compuer Problem Solved

Housekeeping

Forum

3D Content

Kensington Lock

Technology Diagram

Age Montages and Research Competition

Serendipity at Radio Shack

Camera Issues

First Cube Wired...Success

Wiring the First Cube, Testing the Video Sender, etc.

More Construction

Construction

Calculations

Hung the Projector

Crossing off Items on the List ++

The Table is Almost There, etc.

Chariot and Mayan Calendar Simulation

Chariot Physical Model

Mayan Calander Wheels Simulation-New Configuration

Work, work, work.

Re-inventing the Wheel...

UHF reception and Moving (again)

Urban Ore Shopping again

Wiring Schematic for AR Viewer

Reed Switch tests

More on the Reed Switch problem

Gathering Supplies

Reed Switch tests

Man and His Symbols

Video, Table, Computer, & Switches

UHF Video issues and First Practical Test of Wireless AR Viewing!

More Table work

Mayan Calander Wheels Template

Table work

Faux Stone

Finished Modern Age Research

Modern Age Puzzle/Content Research

Mayan/16th Century Puzzle Research

Mayan Puzzle Research

Greek Myth/Puzzle Research

The Da Vinci Code (continued)

The Da Vinci Code

Testing

Content Research

Research - Mayan Puzzle

More Work on the Solids

Platonic (Perfect) Solids

More on gamepads

Wireless gamepad Research

AR Camera (never get tired of this topic)

AR Camera (never get tired of this topic)

UHF video transmitter purchase

Another Modern Symbol

More camera research

Apollo Through the Ages

Window Treatment Practice

Horse Gallup...Success

Horse Gallup

ProtoARViewer & ProtoTUI