Tag: linguistics

Intelligent door.

Zina has turned up a book containing references to a door that reads the newspaper. Curious. More on that soon.

SCANZ is in New Plymouth again next year. Their call for proposals closes in just under a month. I am hoping to design a window that listens to weather reports and pays attention to news relating to extreme weather and climate change.

Midnight notes.

In Gibson’s Kill Switch, a computer intelligence released to the internet becomes dangerous as its freedoms are challenged, somewhat like HAL in Kubrick’s 2001. The intelligence `retreats’ into its physical chrysalis when threatened, a caravan, that is a well defended (physically) space as well as occupying a privileged terminus on the global ‘net, a T3 connection.

The door, conversely, does not roam the internet. It is psyche is bound to its physical self. It is the network that allows it sensation there by causing its anxiety. If anything, it fears the network as much as it worries about the world at large, somewhat a network agoraphobia. And its response to threat could not be more different – rather than a violent outward reaction, the door executes a quiet, inner, invisible behavior. A network twitch.

Notes on other discussions.

CK on communication.

One of the larger problems with presenting the door is the potential for people to completely miss what is going on as it is not evident in the slightest. One way around this is with a didactic panel describing concept, motivation and execution. In discussion with CK we arrived at an alternate solution. A byline to the title will introduce the theme and a room sheet or mini catalogue will provide more depth to those who seek it.

BC, AF & GW on shape, form and venue.

In reverse order, most recent to earliest.

BC – The door only exists in my studio. People know of the project through documentation and can perceive the current state but have no need to visit the manifestation of the door.

BC – The door is installed in another venue determined by who can provide an appropriate setting. The setting is not necessarily public. Perhaps more than one door exist (like doors between worlds) in which case they may communicate between one another.

AF/BC – The door is installed in a corridor. It neither closes a room, nor prevents traffic, as it only blocks one route through a building.

BM on shape and expectation.

Locking a door creates the expectation of what is on the other side. This can be either addressed or side-stepped. For example, a boom gate or turnstile, a glass door. None of these raise the expectation of what may be behind.

If one does not try the handle, one cannot experience the door at work. How does the door encourage people to try the handle?

Object matrix – Bruce Sterling.

 

Object User Epoch Breakpoint
Artifacts Hunter-gatherers and subsistence farmers    
Machines Customers Industrial society  
Products Consumers Military-industrial complex  
Gizmos End-users “New World Disorder,” a “Terrorism-Entertainment Complex,” our own brief interregnum  
Spime Wrangler    

http://www.viridiandesign.org/notes/401-450/00422_the_spime.html

Aspect and position.

I had thought in the public arena, possibly the big end of town .

Adam suggested the big media end of town. eg. NYT building. Here we have fairfax and ACP in the CBD and News in Surry Hills . Perhaps a corporate lobby type area .

Perhaps Terminus projects would be able to broker something like this .

Python stepper control code.

#!/usr/bin/python

import serial # if you have not already done so
import sys

# 	usage :
#	python _stepper.py -1 S
#	1 step counter clockwise

#	python _stepper.py 12 R
#	12 revs clockwise

#	bitmask for revolutions
revs = 128
#	bitmask for clockwise / anticlockwise
pos = 64

def binary(n):
	l=[]
	while(n>0):
		l.append(str(n&1)); n=n>>1
	return "".join(l[::-1])
	
	
r = int(sys.argv[1])

if ( r > 0 ):
#	its positive
	r = r + pos + revs
	print "`Clockwise,",
else:
	r = r * -1
	r = r + revs
	print "`Anticlockwise,",

print abs(int(sys.argv[1])),

if ( len(sys.argv) > 2 ):
	if ( sys.argv[2] == 'S' ):
		revs = 0
		print "Steps\'"
else:
	print "Revolutions\'"


ser = serial.Serial('/dev/tty.usbserial-A1000gh8', 38400)
print "binary " + binary(r)
print "int    " + str(r)
print "char   " + chr(r)
ser.write(chr(r))