Nien Lam

AugTopia

Nien — Fri, 07 May 2010 13:30:29 +0000

AugTopia action figures is a project I am developing at NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program in collaboration with Scott Wayne Indiana (39forks.com).

AugTopia will debut at the ITP show Sunday May 9th.

Each original, limited-edition AugTopia figure is specially designed using emerging augmented reality technologies that enhance play with computer-generated images and scenes. Patterned markers located on the chest of each figure can be detected and tracked by any webcam-enabled computer to track the figure in three-dimensional space, blending computer-generated imagery with the real-world environment. These patterned markers are also interchangeable. Markers can be used in multiple AugTopia figures and traded among players, allowing for a wide variety of possible interactions using the same set of figures.

In conjunction with the collectible AugTopia action figures, the online AugTopia universe will serve as a social networking platform, enabling the upload of user-generated images and videos that bridge the real and virtual worlds.

The core group of four prototype AugTopia action figures and the AugTopia website (AugTopia.com) will be introduced at the ITP Spring Show on Sunday, May 9 from 2:00 – 6:00 p.m. and Monday, May 10 from 5:00 – 9:00 p.m. at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts (721 Broadway between Washington and Waverly Place). Visitors will be invited to handle the prototype figures, and Scott and I will be on hand to demonstrate the augmented reality capabilities.

Elemental Stick

Nien — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 17:55:36 +0000

Completed 12/2009

Using your breath, you can remotely control the 3 elemental forces of nature (wind, fire and water) through a 6 foot bamboo cane.

The idea is based on the Chilean rainsticks that recreate the sound of rain when they are flipped over. The Elemental Stick allows for control of the forces of nature by the use of your breath. Mother Nature or God would perhaps use this type of interface to control the elemental forces. As you blow into the remote (shorter bamboo cane) the sounds of wind, fire, or water coming from the long bamboo cane will grow louder and the lights will become brighter in addition to changing color based on the element selected. Twisting the remote, ie. altering the tilt, will change the control between the 3 different elemental forces.

Elemental Stick and Remote Demo

Construction and Testing
- Arduino Pro Mini’s are used for the microcontrollers
- Wireless communication is done via the Xbee’s
- A thermistor is used for the breath sensor
- The BlinkM MaxM, available on Sparkfun, is used to light the fiber optics
- The MP3 Trigger, also available on Sparkfun, is used for audio playback and storage

Testing Electronics

Testing Elemental Stick

Stock Market Flower

Nien — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 20:21:57 +0000

Completed 11/2008

Scrolling tickers seen on buildings or televisions are commonly used to communicate economic data. Here, a synthetic flower re-imagines the way we visualize stock market information. By serving as a proxy for a company stock, the flower’s level of health expresses how well the stock is performing at a given point in time. The flower’s motion is achieved with a mechanical stem connected to a servomotor that is, along with 2 lights, controlled with an Arduino microcontroller.

Stock Market Flower Demo

Stock Market Indices Demo

Blue Flower by Federico Muelas

Nien — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:23:00 +0000

To be completed late 2010

Blue Flower is a permanent installation currently being developed by New York artist Federico Muelas. It is an outdoor piece where the image of a small drop of blue ink expanding into clear water is optically enlarged and vertically inverted into a 28 foot image. The image will be projected against a circular screen installed on the projection wall of the School of Architecture at the University of New Mexico.

My work pertains to the camera image processing component of the project. Below are a couple of applications to be used for the image processing and panel unit testing.

Camera Controls Application
This application is used to process the video from the camera feed. The software will do the pixelation and feed that data into the display circuitry. Controls are provided for tolerance, sampling resolution and frame rate.
Run the Flash application

Panel Unit Test Application
This application will be used to test the integrity the pixels for each of the panels.
Run the Flash application

da Vinci Museum

Nien — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 19:58:21 +0000

Completed 5/2000

This project was done as an exercise in art direction for a motion picture. The museum I’ve envisioned pays homage to Leonardo da Vinci. The stepped-level architectural design is inspired by the NYC Guggenheim museum while the aesthetic takes cues from the Gilded Age. The model is internally lit, giving it a good approximation of the true lighting if it were built to full scale.

Slinky Game Prototype

Nien — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 17:27:12 +0000

Completed 6/2006

The nefarious Dr. Rube Goldberg has captured the lovable Stravslinky and intends to use him for one of his wacky contraptions. Help guide Stravslinky through the Doctor’s laboratory to set him free.

These prototypes were developed in Director and were created for a game design class.

To Play: Download and unzip the files to your Mac or PC. If the application does not start right away, click on the icon expanded from the zip file. Application may start in the background so check your menu bar. Use the arrow keys to control Stravslinky.

Download Slinky Game Prototype 1 (Mac)

Download Slinky Game Prototype 2 (Mac)

Download Slinky Game Prototype 1 (Win)

Download Slinky Game Prototype 2 (Win)

Game Prototype 1

Game Prototype 2

Computer Smashing Machine

Nien — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 19:57:44 +0000

Completed 5/2001

This sculpture depicts a common fantasy of those faced with computer problems. A participant operating the winch would hoist the hammer up and then release it to deliver a fatal blow to a computer.