This detailed article embodies most of what I enjoy and love about interactive media. I enjoyed forming a deeper understanding of how computers are programmed to “see”, and the article provided a history lesson of some sorts as it detailed the origins of computer vision, and all the fascinating projects which nurtured this concept into the wonderful world of interactive media that we know and continue to develop today.
The first project that showcased the use of computer vision in interactive art was Myron Krueger’s Videoplace, and despite being first conceived in the early 1970s it seems to hold a lot in common with several modern digital art installations that I enjoy and am inspired by. I kept making mental references to the works of American immersive artist, Chris Milk, who creates large interactive installations that require the audience’s interactions. I found it fascinating how I could identify elements of elementary computer vision techniques in Milk’s and other artist’s work. This made me realize that despite the conception of certain computer vision techniques decades ago, much of them pertain and apply to interactive art in modern times. I also considered how there could be endless applications for this kind of creative technology, which could generate revolutionary changes in the fields of education, architecture, media, art, etc.
Furthermore, I noticed how prior to reading this article I was starting to consider how to operate elements of motion and presence detection for my project, since I intended to use a Kinect to detect body movements and mimic them through colors and patterns.
Chris Milk: