Tangible Laptop

About TangibLaptop

2007-10-10T08:27:00.000-07:00

The amazing reacTable table inspired the GarageGeeks and Uri Levanon to build a portable affordable version. Tangible mean that you can touch it.

The TangibLaptop intends to be:

Preserve the reacTable features: Collaborative, Intuitive, Interesting,Learnable and masterable, suitable for novices and advanced electronic musicians.

Portable: it runs on a single laptop.

Affordable: you don't need expensive camrea and a projector

Customizable: customized graphics and music projects

TangibLaptop images at Flickr
ReacTable images at Flickr

Pictures Gallery

2007-10-09T04:45:00.000-07:00

How does it work

2007-10-08T01:25:00.000-07:00

The reactable works like that http://mtg.upf.edu/reactable/?pic=reactivision03.png
more reacTable images at Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/arunproductions/tags/reactable

Make your own Tangible Laptop

The concept of the TangibLaptop is almost the same as reacTable, but have a camera above the laptop, or a laying LCD screen, and place smaller tangible objects on it. sort of a portable version of the reacTable.

In general, there are 3 parts: reactiVision, TUIO graphic client, music client
reactiVision - Objects Detection
Mounting the camera above the laptop screen, placing the objects (with the fiducial markers attached onto physical objects) which are detected by the camera and sends this information to the TUIO Graphic client.
for this part, you need:
* webcam. you can convert it into an IR camera. but this is not a must.
* reacTIVision server.

TUIO Graphic client (see "reacTIVision client examples") listen on UDP port
3333 (or whatever we choose) and receive the "TUIO protocol" information which describes something about an object which is on the table (position, angle).
for this part, you need:
* TUIO client. TangibLaptop uses the DirectX TUIO client, but there are many TUIO clients at the reacTable website.
* reacTIVision emulator. very useful for simulating the Objects Detection, and testing the graphic and music parts without using the reacTivision and the camera.


The Tangiblaptop TUIO client has 2 clients: one for testing (gg_reactable_console.exe) and one for visualization (gg_reactable_viz.exe)
midi device id is 9

gg_reactable_console.exe command line is
gg_reactable_console.exe [port] [midi device number] [midi config file]
for example
gg_reactable_console.exe 3333 9 C:\tangiblaptop\svn\src\gg_reactable_viz\Debug\midi_config.xml

Music MIDI or OSC client - can be Cubase, Abelton Live, receives midi information and does something with that. change a controller value, play a sample, play a note according to position.
for this part, you need:
* MIDIOX. great toolbox for tracing MIDI. not must.
* MIDI Yoke. great virtual MIDI device. not must.
* Some MIDI software that accepts MIDI and creates the musical part.

for more information and questions, use the GarageGeeks group at
http://groups.google.com/group/garagegeeks/

Tangible Kabuki at GeekCon 2007

2007-09-11T07:03:00.001-07:00

This was my GeekCon2007 project. Thanks to:
Project members: Dani Vardi, Tal Yaniv and Eyal "Person" Shachar
Performers: Dror Gill, Ayelet Yagil, Zvi Devir and Jeff Pulver
Photographers: Yaniv Golan and Alex Sirota

1. The TangibLaptop is a collaborative electronic music instrument with a laptop tangible multi-touch interface built by the GarageGeeks (Rafael Mizrahi, Ohad Pressman and Eyal "Person"). inspired by the reactable http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ReacTable

2. The GeekCon un-convention get-together is a creative gathering happening with a goal to form a critical mass of technically oriented creative talented people that will think up, create and deploy ideas. Or it’s a short summer camp for geeks… Take your pick.

1+2=3. Taking it one step further, instead of using physical small hand size objects, YOU will be the players in a musical part by wearing masks. Together, we create a musical part where you can take part by wearing fiducial masks detected by the Tangible laptop.

Reflections:
More Tangible Kabuki images at Flikr tagged with "Tangible Kabuki"

More GeekCon 2007 images at Flikr tagged with geekcon2007

First premiere at MuseNet2007

2007-07-01T04:21:00.001-07:00

webcam infra red night vision

2007-06-21T15:42:00.000-07:00

TangibLaptop should work in light and dark environments and also has the screen which lights under the objects.
To make the life of the camera and image processing easier, we will move them to the InfraRed (IR) spectrum.
How? in 2 steps:
1. Remove the "infrared blocker" from your CCD webcam.
2. Create a IR Leds lamp next to the the camera.

I have just turn my webcam into an infra-red cam for the TangibLaptop,
and almost got myself injured in one eye.
I scratched the "infrared blocker" (a reddish small glass) to remove it, and small pieces of
glass got into my eye.

I got 3 words for you:
wear protection goggles

http://www.hoagieshouse.com/IR/
http://www.instructables.com/id/ERMMQSO60AETOMKIEX/
http://www.instructables.com/id/EF7RFPCE2YEP287GZV/

Coming up next... DYI Infra-Red Leds lamp.

Person created a Reaktor project

2007-06-16T03:24:00.000-07:00

it sound ugly.... (because we used sine waves,)
but,,, behind the scenes, it is beautiful.
this is a major break through, images, waves connections, and now, Reaktor automation.
now, its time for some fine tuning to make it look and sound good.

Render waves as connections

2007-06-15T07:08:00.001-07:00

Ohad 3D3R Pressman, just added the option to render connections as waves.
I have added few waves and GarageGeeks head images.

Controlling ReBirth TB303

2007-05-29T01:45:00.000-07:00

RFC spec update - version 0.1

2007-05-24T02:37:00.000-07:00


* fiducial id: the uniqe painting on the objects represent a number from 0-89
this number is the "fiducial id".
Object id: We also reffer "fiducial id" as "Object id" for example:
"Object 0"-"object 89"


* Session id: every object placed on the table has a unique "Session
id" which is an incremental integer.
If the object is removed and added again, he will get a new session id.
This model supports having several objects from the same id but with
different session id.
Note: The TangibLaptop do not uses "Session id" and enforce to place
on the table only one object for each "object id".


* Control Type:
How does moving the object change its values.
hfader=xpos, vfader=ypos, knob=angle, note=presence


* Object shape (function categories):
ReacTable's objects can be categorized into six different functional groups:
audio generators, audio filters, controllers, control filters, mixers
and global objects
(which affect the behaviour of all objects within their area of influence).
Each family is associated with a different puck
shape and can have many different members, each with a distinct
(human-readable) symbol on its surface.


Generators      N control in    1 audio out
Audio filters   1 audio in      1 audio out     N cntrl in
Controllers     1 cntrl out
control filters 1 cntrl in      1 cntrl out
audio mixers    2 audio in      1 audio out     N cntrl in
global          N cntrl in


Note: The TangibLaptop (at this point) implement only one in and one
out for each object.


* Control function:
How does the object is visualized and connected to other.
The 6 function groups contain various objects.
global: master
audio generators: sampler, wave
audio filters: delay, flanger
controllers: oscillator, lfo, vcf
control filters: decimator, sample & hold
audio mixers: bus


* Master
A central point at the middle of the table.
MASTER object fiducial id is 127
Will be added to the list of objects without being placed on the table.


* Connection channel:
Channel 16 is used for connection commands.
The way objects connect is "Note On", and disconnect = "NOTE OFF"
Examples:
A Connection created from A to MASTER:  NOTE_ON, 15, A, MASTER
A Connection created from B to A:       NOTE_ON, 15, B, A
A Connection removed from B to A:       NOTE_OFF,15, B, A



* Proximity channel:
Channel 1 is used for connection Proximity (distance) commands.
The proximity is affecting the controlling object.
B is connected to A, and B is moving towards A: CONTROL_CHANGE,0, B,
distance value


* Rotation channel:
Channel 2 is used for connection Rotation (angle) commands.
B is connected to A, and B is rotating: CONTROL_CHANGE,1, B, angle value

Integration 4 - Graphics included

2007-05-18T13:08:00.001-07:00

guys,
you wouldn't believe that, but leaving my house today at 18:30 to get some Chinese take away, I see Person, calling me.
that was freeking weird. he came to visit his sister, one building next to my house.
so, he will work on preparing a "Reactor" project which I will use, and I will send him an xml that defines it. the project will have about 4 objects (oscillator, LFO,etc;) that are being controlled by midi Chanel and a controller.
Right now the xml only defines objects, and how their controller values are being changed.
We will not handle connections, right now. let's stabilize the whole midi thing without the connections between objects, and in few days we will go for connections. I have attached one xml as an example.
Person using the TUIO simulator and a TUIO client console (gg_reactable_console.exe) which sends MIDI to Reactor.
Ohad using the TUIO simulator and the TUIO graphic client (gg_reactable_viz.exe) which sends MIDI to dev-null :).
Rafi - using the TUIO server and the TUIO graphic client which sends MIDI to Reactor.

first milestone tasks

2007-05-17T13:00:00.000-07:00

image: Ohad first visualization

hey guys,
I want us to hit the first milestone - integrating all parts together
touch, see and hear it works.

the components:
rafael : server and integration: camera + image processing -> send TUIO
on UDP port 3333
ohad: graphics: listen on TUIO on UDP port 3333 + visualisation -> send midi
person/elad: sound: listen to midi + modular environment
tal: physics: create the objects from perspex + plastic transparent
cover of the screen.

* Ohad, The graphic part handle this visualisation and also
send to midi, The graphic part gets an XML file which defines the objects and the
MIDI that they will send.

Person/Elad:
I will read Person MIDI document and will implement it into the MIDI xml config file.
We will extend this and add information into this XML file which will
describe the relations between objects.
Ohad will use this xml as an input to the graphics client.
Person will use this xml as an input to the dummy client that sends midi.

Tal:
attached is the version of images that I currently use.
we will start by using objects 0 to 4
* prepare only 5 objects with max size of 5cmX5cm
3 round circle shaped objects
1 square shaped object
1 square 3D cube shaped object (we will use it as multi-purpose
object, which can have 6 objects types)
* plastic transparent cover of the screen, so the objects will not scratch it.

TUIO client is sending midi

2007-05-13T13:51:00.000-07:00

Midi guys,
I have dissected the midi feature from the TUIO Server, and placed it
into a TUIO client.
attach you may find:
* a TUIO table simulator (TUIO_Simulator-1.3.zip - java application)
* a TUIO client that prints out the TUIO information,
and also send it to MIDI device.

start the TUIO table simulator, and then, start the TUIO client.
sample TUIO client command: tuiodump.exe 3333 1 midi/demo.xml
Note, the demo.xml file defines objects 0-11, so if you wanna see MIDI
information, use objects 0-11 at the table simulator.

Render waves

2007-05-13T13:50:00.001-07:00

I just had this brilliant idea (sorry for being modest ;) which I
think can boost our visualizations creation process.
I am talking about the connection between the objects,
Instead of being creative and creating a special sine graph or
something like that, for each object.

we can create a general wave plot function which pre-loads a wave
file, and print it between 2 points. function will also support
stretch and amplitude.
this way we can load all kind of waves into each object.

there will be 16 object types.(defined by those wierd pictures)
Actually the table should support throwing several objects from the
same type, that will have different object ID.
Person will "attach" every object ID to a special
sound/wave/controller/oscilator/whatever.
and at the graphic part we will choose some wave that looks similar to
the music part.

camera is mounted

2007-05-10T08:56:00.000-07:00

well, the camera is mounted.

next, I am doing some lights and sizes tests.

first integration video

2007-05-09T10:23:00.000-07:00

check out the first integration video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVaE914pOb0

Had a talk with Person

2007-05-09T08:56:00.001-07:00

Had a talk with Person,
he will be in charge of the midi/music part.
he will setup an environment that can receive midi information and use
it for controllers, and also for automation of a modular.
This can be achived by Cubase hosting a Reaktor, but Person can choose
whatever setup he wants. he is our boss in this area.

terminology:
Object - the tangible physical things that you put on the table.
Object Type - What does this object does? A loop, a sample, oscilator,etc'
There can be about 60 object kinds, but we will start by creating up
to 16, and see how it goes. You can place several objetcs from the
same kind.
We will also create multi-types-objects, objects which looks like a
cube, that have different kind of type on each side of the cube.
Value - Objects can have a value which defined by the angle they are rotated.
This value can be used for velocity, tempo, value of a midi controller, etc'
Attach - An object can attach himself to other objects and affect (or
shell I say effect :) on them.