fwalk

The last time I researched BCI- Brain computer interactions, I saw videos of user sitting in front of the computer with his scalp covered in wires. It was kind of scary. I was kind of sckeptical as to the area where a user interface designer would come in for products as an outcome of BCI research. It depends a lot on the ability of designers to understand the brain signals that can be interpreted and how human behaviour is dictated by the information that the brain processes.

AUDEO is a device which can interpret signals (which control the vocal chords) from a users brain and converts it to audio. It is aimed at people who have lost their voice due to disease or accident. 

That marks the era of 'slient communication' - speaking without uttering a word.. 

Yesterday I went to Best Buy to check on some new tablets but I found none to be even remotely close to the ipad2.

I roamed around the shop to look at some gaming devices like the PS2 and Xbox360. But of all these electronic noise and junk, one product threw a cool breeze of natural air towards me. I stood in front of it in absolute awe wondering like a child as to what this device was. I looked at the blue halo of the circular rim and soon discovered it was a fan with no baldes. 

 

 

 

 

I am now a big fan of Mr. Dyson and a great respect for the engineering profession.

Kulki had set out to create a new instrument with bamboo when in IIT Mumbai. He had come up with an interesting product which was more or less a drum but the quality of sound varied based on the length of the bamboo column.

I came across an interesting device invented by Leon Theremin. More than the principle of the device I am amazed at the music being played without even touching the instrument.

 

More on Leon Theremin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%A9on_Theremin

 

I was thrilled at watching the super villain of XMEN toss and turn people around using gestures and his brain alone. I dig the idea of searching for information using my brain rather than searching it on google. Something like an OS to install parallel to your brain. (PS: My last Ubuntu installed along side Windows & didnt succeed and it also crashed the windows :P. Touch Wood!).

 

I always dream of a child finding his answers in his brain. The knowledge and wisdom gathered by his fathers and forefathers aids him through out his life.

Anyways, Since then I have been looking up 'Brain COmputer Interactions' and wondering as to how I could foray into this field. I have ssome inetresting collection of youtube videos on this 

Often I would be asked if I was into gaming and my blunt reply would be 'No'. I havent really played an online game with an addictive interest. But yesterday I can across a few games designed by Jenova Chen. He has brought an oriental philosophy and thought to gaming.

Flow is visually stunning game about a micrscopic organism which devours other s to metamorphose into a larger being. While I dont completely agree with the very idea of devouring another organism, I would have preferred mating or foreplay as a means of creation of a new organism which is more beautiful.

His other games design for PS3 are Cloud, Flower and Spore.

Flow

Flower

Cloud

The reason I tend to like his games is that they are not the usaual blood and gore. They bring in the subtleties of nature to gaming. Also the actor of the game can play the role of the wind or a cloud or a species other than himself. Personally I have always been tempted to walk out of the miserable aeroplane into the azure sky and sleep on those fluffy clouds.

COME FLY!

Rithwik and I had just returned from the pool. He didnt want to take a bath. So he idled around and picked objects which lay on the floor. As I sat in front of the computer, he called out to show a new game he had invented.

He had the stool turned upside down and placed a marble in a groove along the edge. He would now flick his fore finger to push the marble so it went flying into the space between the 4 legs of the stool.

Now he explained the rules ...
1. if you flick your finger then it should fall within the area withing the 4 legs of the stool.
2. you can place the marble anywhere on the wooden stool
E.g place it at the top of the legs
3. ...and so on and so forth until he got bored of it or something more exciting drew his mind away.

We invent games possibly to keep ourselves engaged and engrossed. We can devise rules which challenge us and excite us. These challenges are always humanly achieveable and not impossible. The rewards are assigned imaginary values. That which provides you a sense of achievement.

It is almost like inventing a good story that can be put into infnite loop and continues to keep you engrossed even if it repeats multiple times. In this story you are not a silent listener any longer. You have to constantly perform tasks or actions that help you move ahead in the infinite loop. There are multiple paths ...add some short cuts ...dont tax your brains ...forget this world ... walk into the better world ... its imaginary alright!

TURN ON YOUR SPEAKERS!

I just couldn't resist posting this marvellous piece here thus having to put aside my vow of now posting any work that doesnt belong to me. G E N I O U S!

 

Likhit demonstrates an electronic harmonica ...

EFFORTLESS GENIOUS!

 

Ravi Teja demonstrates how we can make Batman using paper.

Is it a bird? Is it a plane?

IT'S BATMAN!

Rithwik demonstrates a whistle that mimicks a bird from Britain.

This was being sold by a Chinese immigrant along the thames near the TATE Gallery of modern art.

It is made of bamboo and you pull the stick in and out to vary the frequecy of the whistle.

 

PHOUI PHOO PHOUI!