Among the key contributors to this production (in alphabetical order) are: Lily Díaz, producer and researcher; Toni Enström, 3D modeling; Derek Fewster, content advisor; Mikko Hovi, 3D modeling, photography and rendering; Cvijeta Miljak, editing and graphic design; and Markku Reunanen, 3D modeling, photography and research.

The production is part of the activities in the Finnish Pavilion at the 1900 World Fair in Paris research project conducted by the Systems of Representation research group of the Media Lab Helsinki. For more information please visit our websites.

http://paviljonki.mlog.taik.fi/
http://sysrep.uiah.fi

Contact person: Prof. Lily Díaz; lily.diaz@aalto.fi

Perttu Hämäläinen has been chosen as Assistant Professor (level 1) in Computer Games.

Congratulations to Teemu and Perttu!

Our card awaits you here:
http://www.aalto.fi/christmas/

http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=26&storycode=418344&c=1

News item and Philip Dean’s interview in Aalto TAIK www.

PROGRAMME 15.12.2011
MEDIA LAB IN LASIPALATSI

13.00 Demo Space opens

ON DEMO STAGE

13.30 WELCOME Philip Dean

13.35 CityBeat

CONTEXT:
Ongoing project that has been exhibited several times with the main taking place in Helsinki and Riga over the last few months.

DESCRIPTION:
The citybeat project is about giving people the means to feel the heart beats of cities. The most recent installation was produced by the Finnish Bioart Society and is part of an overall exhibition by the European Public Art Centre. The installation provides a tactile interface whereby people use their own bodies to feel the pulsing surface. The data that controls the strength and speed of the heart beats comes from live audio analysis in the city centers of Helsinki, Riga, Lisbon and London.

PROJECT GROUP:
Mina Arko (Graphic Design), Ben Dromey (New Media), Jari Suominen (New Media)

PRESENTING TODAY:
Ben Dromey, Jari Suominen

MORE INFO:
ben.dromey@gmail.com, jari.ak.suominen@gmail.com
citybeatproject.com

13.39 Ongoing work in the TAI Studio

CONTEXT:
Ongoing work in the TAI Studio

DESCRIPTION:
The TAI Studio of the Media Lab Helsinki provides a framework for scientific and artistic research on tangible and auditory interfaces (TAI) between digital media and the physical realm. Both researchers and students are invited to share their knowledge and competences in order to creatively work on their TAI-related ideas.
Today’s presentation covers recent work done in the context of TAI Studio on the fields of:
+ Upstairs: a framework for shared presence
+ Vellum / Betablocker: investigations towards the integration of digital and physical raw material
+ Anemos Sonore: an artistic research project into a hypothetical culture where sounds are primary source for evidence in science and research.

PROJECT GROUP:
Till Bovermann

PRESENTING TODAY:
Till Bovermann

MORE INFO:

http://tai-studio.org

till.bovermann@aalto.fi

13.43 Hand Gesture Based MIDI Controller

CONTEXT:
Work made at the Physical Interaction Design course (SOPI).

DESCRIPTION:
I will perform a live music demonstration of the MIDI Controller project I worked on during the Physical Interaction Design course. The controller functions with 5 ultrasonic sensors that detect the distance of your hand from the sensors. This distance data is transformed to musical information and sent to external hardware via MIDI.

PROJECT GROUP:
Tommi Koskinen

PRESENTING TODAY:
Tommi Koskinen

MORE INFO:
tommi@kitkaliitto.com

http://www.kitkaliitto.com

13.48 Creative Collaboration in Digital Native Communities

CONTEXT:
An independent research project in New Media Theory

DESCRIPTION:
How did the Internet transform from a place for exchanging funny cat pictures, to a place for organizing revolutions? Where is the root of this newly discovered potential for self-organization and empowerment in the user and how can we use it ?
If you are interested in these questions, we would be happy to give you a short preview of this small project that we have been working on this autumn.

PROJECT GROUP:
Aleksander Nikulin & Rahul Abhisek

PRESENTING TODAY:
Aleksander Nikulin

MORE INFO:
anikulin@abv.bg
rahul.abhisek@gmail.com

13.54 Ville Wallenius Sound Design

CONTEXT:
My sound design and music production work made during the studies in Mlab 2011.

DESCRIPTION:
4 sound design & music production examples

PROJECT GROUP:
Ville Wallenius

PRESENTING TODAY:
Ville Wallenius

MORE INFO:
www@villewallenius.com, www.villewallenius.com, www.mew.fi

13.57 SOPI Research Projects

CONTEXT:
The projects done by SOPI Research Group

DESCRIPTION:
There have been several research projects in the SOPI research group within the scope of Computational Models for Audiovisual Performances, Embodied Approaches to Sonic Interaction, Enactive Interaction, Mobile Music, Multimodal Interfaces, Participatory Music Experience and Physical Interaction. This is an overview presentation of the SOPI research projects that will be demonstrated on the floorspots during the demo day.

PROJECT GROUP:
Koray Tahiroğlu

Callum Goddard
James Nesfield

Antti Ikonen

Chi-Hsia Lai
Roberto Pugliese
Matti Niinimäki

PRESENTING TODAY:
Koray Tahiroğlu and Callum Goddard

MORE INFO:

http://sopi.media.taik.fi/

koray.tahiroglu@aalto.fi

14.00 Playful Soul

CONTEXT:
Bodily Interaction

DESCRIPTION:
What does a soul look like? How does it move? Can something that has no body be seen nor touched? In this interactive installation you get to see, touch and move your soul around.

Everyone of us has an opinion about the soul. It is an essential part of spiritual life and we consider it to be immortal. We believe that it continues living in another place after our body has perished, or that it is reborn into a new body. The soul is something we cannot see or touch, still we believe that everyone of us has one and that it is an important part of our existence.

Making invisible visible, making untouchable touchable – that is what “Playful Soul” is about.

PROJECT GROUP:
Minka Kailu, Oskar Hamrén, Ilari Niitamo

PRESENTING TODAY:
Minka Kailu

MORE INFO:
minkakailu.blogspot.com
minka.kailu@hotmail.com
ilari.niitamo@gmail.com

*** BREAK *** REFESHMENTS ***



14.30 Sound Gloves: Wearable Musical Instruments

CONTEXT:
Media Factory Wearable Electronics Course ( & SOPI Research Project )

DESCRIPTION:
Sound Gloves features three pairs of gloves designed to be independent wearable instruments completely free of any outer support. The Castanets Gloves allow the player to play rhythmic patterns with two hands and to change the pitch by rotating the right hand glove. The Touch Sound Gloves allow the player to feel any surfaces with the “piezo nails” embedded in the gloves to make and amplify sounds. The Theremin Gloves allow the player to make sounds in the spirit of Theremin – to change the pitch by controlling either the distance of the two gloves or the distance of a glove and any surface.

PROJECT GROUP:
Chi-Hsia Lai (SOPI research group, Media Lab), Carmen Brecheis (Department of Textile Art), Minna Holkkola (MUU gallery)

PRESENTING TODAY:
Chi-Hsia Lai & Minna Holkkola

MORE INFO:
chi-hsia.lai@aalto.fi

http://wearable.mlog.taik.fi/

14.36 Re-designing hel.fi! – Part I

CONTEXT:
Study project for Media Lab + Graphic Design students, in collaboration with the City of Helsinki

DESCRIPTION:
We will present the results of the first part of the study project, which includes 4 new concepts for the hel.fi portal: The Block, Thinking Forward, Simpli.fi, Citizen’s City

PROJECT GROUP:
Anssi Kokkonen, Dash Shakti , Inka Kosonen, Irmeli Iivonen, Joanna Saad-Sulonen, Johanna Rotko, Jon Fabritius, Juho Santasalo, Jutta Joutjarvi, Kalle Järvenpää, Kristjan Laansalu, Lauri Hassi, Leila Oravisto, Mari Huhtanen, Marjatta Itkonen, Oskar Hamren, Paul Kahn, Paula Hirvonen, Prashant Coakley, Ranjit Menon, Sasha Kerkos, Vahid Mortezaei

PRESENTING TODAY:
Joanna Saad-Sulonen, Marjatta Itkonen, and students

MORE INFO:

http://project-hel.media.taik.fi/

14.40 The gloving sound

CONTEXT:
Project that i made in Physical interaction design course.

DESCRIPTION:
Vinyl cartridge is attached to the glove- servo motor turns the vinyl record- visitor/experimentor can create the sound. (It is more about the fragile communication between man and machine than finding a good tune)

PROJECT GROUP:
Henri Hütt

PRESENTING TODAY:
Henri Hütt

MORE INFO:
henri.hytt@artun.ee

14.45 Radiation Station

CONTEXT:
Some MA thesis practical exploration

DESCRIPTION:
There will be some form of interface for people to listen to different sonifications of radiation

PROJECT GROUP:
Ben Dromey

PRESENTING TODAY:
Ben Dromey

MORE INFO:
ben.dromey@gmail.com radiation.superbendy.com

14.49 SoundZoom (Stereo)

CONTEXT:
Work made at the Physical Interaction Design course (SOPI).

DESCRIPTION:
An interactive soundscape installation made during the Physical Interaction Design course.

PROJECT GROUP:
Kirsi Ihalainen supervising the interaction.

PRESENTING TODAY:
Kirsi Ihalainen supervising the interaction.

MORE INFO:
kirsi.ihalainen@aalto.fi

14.53 ‘Aerobical mechanic & organic orchestra – A physical interaction performance’

CONTEXT:
“Physical interaction workshop”

DESCRIPTION:
Interactive electronic orchestra, performed with instrument that input data from body, to amplify sonar expression.

PROJECT GROUP:
Juan Duarte
Valtteri Wikström

PRESENTING TODAY:
Juan Duarte
Valtteri Wikström

MORE INFO:
stereodrum@gmail.com
vatte.wikstrom@gmail.com

ON DEMO FLOOR

Wearable Electronics course demos

CONTEXT:
Wearable Electronics course

DESCRIPTION:
Electronics and sensors allow artists to create interactive smart garments that sense and communicate with the environment and the user and may react to them. The Wearable Electronics course which focused on this theme was organised in autumn 2011 in collaboration between Aalto University School of Art and Design, Aalto Media Factory, and Muu Artists’ Association.

The participants who came from a variety of backgrounds such as new media, costume design, textile design, fine art and performing arts worked in teams to implement their visions of wearable technology. The demo event of the course took place in MUU Gallery on 5th December, 2011.

PROJECT GROUP:
Teachers: Tomi Dufva and Jukka Hautamäki
Visiting teachers: Meg Grant, Marja Uusitalo, Raija Jokinen, Johanna Ilmarinen, Ali Neissi Shooshtari, Markku Nousiainen
Producer: Markku Nousiainen

PRESENTING TODAY:
Markku Nousiainen

MORE INFO:

http://wearable.mlog.taik.fi/

Finnish Pavilion at the 1900 World Fair in Paris

CONTEXT:
The project is part of the work done by Systems of Representation. Students working with 3D graphics, as well as digital design collaborate with us in the endeavor.

DESCRIPTION:
The Finnish pavilion at the Paris 1900 World Fair was an important national milestone, bringing together the contemporary top architects, artists and designers in an effort to portray Finland as a modern and distinctive nation to an international audience. This project, led by the Systems of Representation research group, is creating an interactive virtual reality installation of the Pavilion.
The reconstruction is a three-dimensional, digital installation presented in virtual reality environment. Wearing circular polarization glasses and using a mouse the visitor is able to access a space created using stereoscopic display. The virtual model of the pavilion can be examined both inside and outside. Spatial sounds are used to make the experience feel real, as if one would be moving inside a historical building.

PROJECT GROUP:
Jukka Alander — software design, 3D modeling
Lauri Arvilommi — 3D modeling
Lily Díaz — project director, website
Derek Fewster — historical research
Tommi Horttana — software design
Mikko Hovi — 3D modeling
Mari Korsumäki– additional 3D modeling
Matti Luhtala — sound design
Tapio Matilainen — 3D modeling
Leyla Nasibova — 3D modeling
Ilkka Olander — sound design
Agnieszka Paszkowska — visual design
Markku Reunanen — coordination, 3D modeling
Anna Salmi — visual design
Ferhat Sen — User interface design

PRESENTING TODAY:
Lily Díaz, Markku Reunanen, Mikko Hovi, etc.

MORE INFO:

http://paviljonki.mlog.taik.fi/

lily.diaz@aalto.fi

Jack in the Box Factory

CONTEXT:
Digital game

DESCRIPTION:
A digital adventure game with a magic-realism theme. Player’s character Jack is a standard assembly line worker in a box factory, who has repeated same unchallenging routine every day for 14 years. Then one day things break apart and the dull job environment starts to seem more sinister than he had ever expected.
This few weeks project was an experiment to make a game with AGS engine without any earlier experience.

PROJECT GROUP:
Toni Enström & Jussi Pullinen. featuring Heikki Sillanpää

PRESENTING TODAY:
Toni Enström & Jussi Pullinen

MORE INFO:
toni.enstrom@gmail.com
pullinen.jussi@gmail.com

Rivals of the Sea

CONTEXT:
Board game for Advanced topics in game design -course.

DESCRIPTION:
Rivals of the Sea is a 2-6 player board game where you are an heir of a mighty Pirate King. As your father feels his time as a king is soon to be over, he needs a successor. So he sends you and your siblings to a mission on waves. The first one to fulfill the King’s wish shall be crowned as a new Pirate King. The seas are dangerous. The rivalry is fierce. Now it is all about you against the rest of the world.

PROJECT GROUP:
Anne-Marie Grönroos, Jaakko Kemppainen, Björn Lindholm and Arash Sammander.

PRESENTING TODAY:
Jaakko Kemppainen, Anne-Marie Grönroos and Björn Lindholm.

MORE INFO:
bjorn.lindholm@rockway.fi or jaakko.s.kemppainen@aalto.fi

Senseg – Haptic interaction design

CONTEXT:
Design context

DESCRIPTION:
Haptic interaction design based on temporal and sonic interaction design principles for Senseg – internship.

PROJECT GROUP:
Me and Senseg R and D.

PRESENTING TODAY:
Ranjit Menon

MORE INFO:
drystate@gmail.com

Multitouch Art -project

CONTEXT:
Multitouch Interaction course project with Nuno Correia.

DESCRIPTION:

Visitors can experience the multitouch project on the stand. Experience Art in your touchscreen with Multitouch Art -application on your device. You will get high-resolution pictures with more information about the art pieces, artists and the exhibition. Multitouch Art will answers questions about the art, it creates emotions and inspires a response to the representatives.

PROJECT GROUP:
PRESENTING TODAY:
Johanna Rotko

MORE INFO:
johanna.rotko@aalto.fi
040 7606745
Project blog and information:

http://mlab.taik.fi/mediacode

AHNE – HEI Project

CONTEXT:
SOPI Research Group. HEI Project.

DESCRIPTION:
AHNE (Audio-Haptic Navigation Environment) is a non-visual 3D user interface for manipulating virtual sound objects. In the Demo Day showcase, a possible use for the system as a musical controller is presented. AHNE was developed in the SOPI Research Group as a part of the HEI Project, which is a joint research project in collaboration with Nokia Research Center.

PROJECT GROUP:
Matti Niinimäki
Koray Tahiroğlu
SOPI Research Group

PRESENTING TODAY:
Matti Niinimäki

MORE INFO:

http://sopi.media.taik.fi/

matti.niinimaki@aalto.fi

Brainwise

CONTEXT:
Wearable Electronics course.

DESCRIPTION:
The Brainwise hat reads the users brainwaves and projects the activity on top of the hat. A project built using custom capacitive EEG sensors, RGB-LEDs, light fibre, Arduino Lilypad.

PROJECT GROUP:
Valtteri Wikström, Metti Nordin

PRESENTING TODAY:
Valtteri Wikström

MORE INFO:
valtteri.wikstrom@aalto.fi

discrete sound experiment

CONTEXT:
free experimentation

DESCRIPTION:
Free experimentation with discrete electronic soundsignals in space.

PROJECT GROUP:
Samy Kramer and Jari Suominen

MORE INFO:
samy.kramer@aalto.fi

Happy birthday hairy J

CONTEXT:
Just some free experimentation with my hair

DESCRIPTION:
This is a project about birthdays and babies and stuff

PROJECT GROUP:
Ben Dromey

PRESENTING TODAY:
Ben Dromey

MORE INFO:
ben.dromey@gmail.com 0466288011

soundsCollective – ipod instrument design demonstration

CONTEXT:
SOPI Research Group

DESCRIPTION:
soundsCollective is cross-disciplinary project among music performance practices, sonic interaction design and computational model of social interaction. The project is a joint effort by Sound and Physical Interaction (SOPI) research group in the Department of Media and the Department of Media Technology to tackle the notion of participation, embodiment and human-human interaction in sound related activities through the framework of enaction.
In its present state of the project, we will demonstrate the instruments we designed for Ipod devices.

PROJECT GROUP:
Koray Tahiroglu
Roberto Pugliese
James Nesfield
Callum Goddard

PRESENTING TODAY:
Koray Tahiroglu
Roberto Pugliese
Callum Goddard

MORE INFO:
Koray Tahiroglu
koray.tahiroglu@aalto.fi
Roberto Pugliese
roberto.pugliese@aalto.fi
James Nesfield
james.nesfield@aalto.fi
Callum Goddard
callum.goddard@aalto.fi

‘EQuilibrium’

CONTEXT:
SOPI Research Group

DESCRIPTION:
A ludic instrument designed as an antidote to computer-mediated performances in which the performer is able to check emails while performing, EQuilibrium demands attentiveness and user input in order to be successfully played. An unstable, top-heavy construction ensures that performers must actively work to balance the instrument, while the sounding behaviour is designed such that sound is only created when the unit is taken ‘off-balance’. The constant negotiation between these competing priorities enhances the engagement of the activity, and contributes to its difficulty. As a light-hearted study, the instrument provides ample encouragement and challenge to beginners without limiting the scope for ‘virtuosic’ performances in the right pair of hands.

PROJECT GROUP:
James Nesfield

PRESENTING TODAY:
Callum Goddard

MORE INFO:
James Nesfield
james.nesfield@aalto.fi

17.00 Demo space closes

Thanks for all the presenters

and the crew:

JUUSO JANHUNEN, da capitano
ILPO KARI
HEIKKI TUONONEN
MARKUS ERÄPOHJA
ANNA ARSNIVA

Merry Christmas for you all!

http://www.aalto.fi/christmas/

Read more here!

9-10
Mikko Pykäri: Emotion Differentiation. Four stages of emotion differentiation in am emotionally influenced process of composing.
Advisor: Samu Mielonen
Evaluators: Jukka Purma Media Lab and Kimmo Lehtonen University of Turku

10-11 (note: Svetlana graduates from Sound in New Media Program)
Svetlana Maras: Embodied Composition. Treatment and meaning of physical object in experimental music and sound art.
Advisors: Marianne Decoster-Taivalkoski and Andrew Bentley
Evaluators: Koray Tahiroglu Media Lab and James Andean Sibelius Academy

11-12
Ramyah Gowrishankar: Designing Fabric Interactions. A study of knitted fabrics as an electronic interface medium.
Advisors: Katharina Bredies and Till Bovermann
Evaluators: Kati Hyyppä Media Lab and Meg Grant New Zealand/ Netherlands

- – - 12-13 Lunch Break – - –

13-14
Jonathan Cremieux: Fulldome content production. A bricoleur’s approach.
Advisor: Markku Reunanen
Evaluators: Nuno Correia Media Lab and David Beining University of New Mexico/ Advanced Graphics Lab AGL

14-15
Elise Liikala: NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND THE WEB. A Case Study: Redesigning sos-lapsikyla.fi
Advisor: Teemu Leinonen
Evaluators: Asta Raami Media Lab and Ilpo Kiiskinen Amnesty International

Fuchs addressed Finnish media creators in the DIMEKE – Content Development for Digital Media seminar in Tampere 2nd November 2011.

Fred Fuchs is currently an independent Executive Producer based in Toronto. His most recent projects are CAMELOT; a 10 1 hour episode Canadian/Irish treaty co production for Starz Entertainment/CBC/GK Films and THE TRANSPORTER; a 12 1 hour episode Canadian/French treaty co production for HBO LA/HBO Canada/RTL/M6. Previous to working with Take 5 Productions Fuchs was Executive Director of Arts and Entertainment at the CBC, Canada’s public broadcaster, for 4 years. Fuchs began his career as a producer of prestige film and television projects with award-winning television series like FAERIE TALE THEATRE for SHOWTIME and VIETNAM WAR STORIES for HBO. Fuchs then segued into the feature film industry producing TUCKER: THE MAN AND HIS DREAM, directed by Francis Ford Coppola and executive produced by George Lucas. For 12 years Fuchs was President of American Zoetrope Studios and was Executive Producer of many features including THE GODFATHER PART III, BRAM STOKER’S DRACULA, THE SECRET GARDEN, DON JUAN DEMARCO, THE VIRGIN SUICIDES, and JOHN GRISHAM’S THE RAINMAKER. While at Zoetrope Fuchs also started a TV division and was Executive Producer for internationally successful mini series THE ODYSSEY, MOBY DICK, KIDNAPPED.

IMDB: http://pro.imdb.com/name/nm0297209/