Research and Art

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Dr. Jürgen Scheible

is currently a project manager and postdoc researcher (RealUbi project) at the Aalto University, School of Arts and Design, Department of Media.

Research focus: Multi-modal Interfaces for Creating and Sharing Interactive Artistic Experiences.

Artist statement: 'My mobile phone is my greatest art tool'.

Dr. Jürgen Scheible, author of the book 'Mobile Python - Rapid prototyping on the mobileplatform' (Wiley) is a researcher, music and media artist. At the Media Lab of Aalto University, School of Art and Design, in Helsinki he runs the Mobile Hub, a prototype development environment for mobile client/server applications with a strong focus on artistic approaches and creative design.
He spent several months in 2006 as a visiting scientist at MIT, CSAIL, Boston and worked previously for Nokia for 8 years. In 2006 and 2007 Jürgen was recognized as a Forum Nokia Champion for his driving vision to be a bridge builder between art, engineering and research. He is internationally active in teaching innovation workshops on rapid mobile application prototyping in academic but also professional settings e.g. at Stanford University, MIT, NTU Taiwan, Yahoo Research Berkeley, Nokia. In 2010 he defended at the Aalto University in Finland his dissertation with the title: 'Empowering Mobile Art Practice: A Recontextualization of Mobile and Ubiquitous Computing' (download the dissertation as PDF here).

His vision is to make artistic experimental projects based on social, cultural and pedagogical ideas and build the underlaying technology and software tools for them. He is a "bridge builder" by combining art, design and engineering in his research. These days, technology driven development is not sufficient enough anymore to develop products and services that are appealing to people. We need creative people, designers and engineers working together to transform the needs of todays people into appealing, sellable products.

His Message to all the creative and innovative people out there: Use your skills, ideas and energy to inspire the world arround you!

Projects:

MobiSpray, a novel interactive art tool for creating ubiquitous ephemeral digital art. The mobile phone is employed as virtual spray can to spray dabs of digital paint onto the physical environment via large-scale projections anytime, anywhere. The gesture based control of the mobile phone provides natural pointing mechanism for the virtual spray can. MobiSpray aims to liberate and empower the artist to change her environment via large-scale artistic expressions. http://www.mobispray.com

MobiToss, a novel application for creating and sharing mobile multimedia art with an off-the-shelf mobile phone equipped with built-in accelerometer sensors allowing gesture control. The user first takes a photo or captures a video with the phone and then using a ‘throwing’ gesture transfers the clip onto a large public display for instant viewing and manipulation by tilting the phone in different directions. The system augments the user-created clip with other items such as music or brand labels and the encoded clip is automatically sent back to the phone as a personal artefact of the event. The clip is also uploaded to a dedicated community website for sharing the created multimedia art with others. MobiToss could be deployed e.g. in clubs, pubs and concerts as a participatory VJ-tool.Check the video to see how it works, but also visit the gallery of ready art pieces.

Book: Mobile Python - Rapid prototyping on the mobile platform written by Jürgen Scheible and Ville Tuulos. In an engaging hands-on coding style this Python for S60 book teaches you how you can program your own mobile applications easily on Nokia smartphones. It covers camera, sound, graphics, Bluetooth, Internet, positioning, SMS, MMS, reading of incoming SMS, webservices etc. More...

Manhattan Storymashup

Manhattan Story Mashup is an urban storytelling game that combines mobile phones, the web and a public display at Times Square NY into interactive, collaborative street art. I've designed this game together with Ville Tuulos for Nokia Research Center .

Artblog: My Mobile Art Project

When I travel I produce instant art that reflects my location, mood, and environment simply by using my Mobile phone and a python app that I wrote for it. Check out my art images.

MobiLenin

The MobiLenin system allows a group of people to interact with an interactive music video on a large public display using their personal mobile phone. A research project by Jurgen Scheible, University of Art & Design, Helsinki, and Timo Ojala , University of Oulu, Finland.

Snowman in Hell - Computer Game

A computer game which was created by 4 UIAH students. Jurgen Scheible has made the MUSIC & SOUND DESIGN as well as being one of the CONCEPT designers.

MobSpiration

A mobile learning tool for collaborative, situated learning. Exploring as group & taking pictures with a mobile phone, send pictures to collaborative map tool for organizing and categorizing pictures as a group into a collaborative map. Sharing the outcome with the collaborative map.

Bluetooth Messaging Platform

The platform serves as a Bluetooth Hotspot (standalone & distributed) to allow rich mobile user experiences including public screen interaction as well as broadcast messaging ( pictures, text, video, audio, games, SMS, MMS).

Instant Mobile Picture Viewer for Large Screens

This tool allows users to upload pictures instantly from their mobile phone to a large screen via bluetooth.

Pair Game for Large Screens with Mobile Picture upload and Wireless UI

A pair game application that is controlled by a single user waving a red textile object through the air in front of a large sceen. Pictures to be played with, can instantly be uploaded to the screen via bluetooth.

Interactive Music Video

A music video that is viewed on a large screen being controlled by an audience through clapping and shouting. A version for using mobile technology for controlling the video will follow soon.

MZIG

A mobile learning concept focusing on collaboraive, situated learning, transforming existing pedagogical priciples such as "jig saw" and "paper computer" into mobile solutions. This project is done in collaboration with 3 other doctoral students of UIAH.

Glowing Ball - Audience participatory UI

A large screen based interactive audio visual application that is controlled by an audience through passing around a huge glowing ball who's position is tracked via vision analysis.

Shortfilm on military aircraft crash in 1984

A shortfilm about a french Mirage VF military aircraft crash on 1.6.1984 in Oberderdingen, Germany. The pilot exited the plane already in France, Colmar and it flew without any control for 45 Min. over southern Germany. Jurgen Scheible is now reconstructing the flight and the crash scenario via computer grapic animation, combining it with real video footage and interviews of eye-witnesses.

Past Projects:

Mobile Learning Game for Nokia 9210i

A fun "3D-2D graphic" game implemented in Flash including sound. It is playable on the Nokia 9210i Mobile Device and can be downloaded over the air. It contains learning content with animated illustrasitons and text. Idea, game design, graphic design, coding, sound design, all made by Jürgen Scheible.

Music CD

Under the Artist name Lenin's Godson, Jurgen Scheible has produced a pop-rock album that is published by a German record company.

Music Videos

A collection of artistic music videos made by Jürgen Scheible, that are used for screening in Lenin's Godson's live shows, but are also available for viewing on mobile phones.