Final Project

Concept Description
In the nightclubs the significance and the quality of the Vjs are increasing every day, and it is becoming a respected job due the maturing of the professionals involved, more or less as happened with the Djs in the 80’s. But, at the same time, more and more the public misses the interaction or even the show feature that can be found in concerts and band exhibitions. This model of nightclubs with DJ-pickups, VJ-laptop/mixer and a big screen with images that caught all the visual attention looks like that there is no humans using their skills to do things in real-time.

And, looking from the other side, it is also frustrating to the VJ to be attached to a computer, in a constrained and introspective position, and at the same time try to generate a expansive, exciting and extroversive video output. Usually the desire is to go down from the stage and join the people at the dance floor and still keep control over the video, but from a different point of view. Or even try to get the energy from the dancing people sharing with them some simple control over the real-time inputs, just getting info from the dance movements.

The idea here is to create a tool for the Vjs control remotely, without wires, and with more natural gestures (than keyboard, mouse and sliders) the video mixing. The secondary feature is to allow people use this same tool in a kind of simpler “user mode” to play with the video in the big screen, without need of previous learning (they will learn “on the fly” by the visual feedbacks).

Features Specification
Before define the feature specifications, it is better to make clear the main concerns that are wanted to be kept on all the process:

• This tool should allow more natural or intuitive movements for controlling the different properties of the video/sound.
• Flexible enough to let the user use a different garment each time according to his fashion desire.
• Allow flexible movements and feel comfortable on sustained use.
• Have a simple version/user mode that can be easily used by anyone without further explanations.
• Maybe have a professional version/user mode that allows more complex or specific controls.
• Real-time feedback. A gesture movement would generate a correspondent action in the video and must happen again if the same gesture is repeated.
• Don’t get lost in using thousands of sensors and a too complex algorithm to try to recognize all the subtle nuances of the human gestures.
• Be a conceptual device in this stage, but keep in mind that the next step will be do it for real use.

With these constrains in mind and after some exploration (ex3, ex4, Dance Positions) and references, the Wrist Brace VJ aroused as the best and feasible solution.

The prototype consists in a wrist brace and more 8 independent pin-buttons with icons that identifies basic commands for VJ. The pin-buttons can be attached to the garment using the pins or using Velcro. The Velcro can be also used to do simple bracelets to the ankles, wrist and other nude parts. As wireless reception device, there is a box that must be attached to the computer by the USB port, and it sends Midi signals to the software.

The professional user (VJ) wears it in the wrist and chooses the position of the pin-buttons in the body, according to convenience, comfort and personal desire. For the professional use, with the product will come together a tutorial with some examples and suggestions of use and videos of live performances. The idea is that after a while of practice the VJ starts to create his own customized usage adapted to his personal movements.

The button-pins are basic commands (like “play” or “increase speed”) that can be used as discrete events or toggle switch functions commands. Actually, the command set that will come with the product is just a well-tested suggestion, and the VJ can change the icons of the buttons just opening them and change the interpretation of the Midi signals in the software, according to his personal mixing style.

Besides the discrete button-pins commands, the VJ can use arm and body movements (that causes the arm to move) to produce analog and continuous changes into the video properties. For example, if this arm input is set to control the playback speed of the movie, putting the hand above the head can mean increase speed and put the arm down can mean decrease the speed. For keep the video fixed in the desired status or to rest the arm there is an on/off button just at the range of the finger when you fold the hand.

For the clubber user (someone in the dance floor), it must and will be really simpler. He should just wear the wrist brace and use the analog input with the arms to play with the video. It can be possible to him to use the pin-buttons too, but for that it will be necessary a short explanation before start. The VJ can then set the property and other features that can be controlled from the wrist brace.

Target User Description
The target users are the professional and the amateur VJs. These users are familiar with video softwares and with the main commands that are used to control the mixing. A considerable part of then already tried a Midi input device to manage inputs, which will make the learning curve of the wrist brace really short. For the shy Vjs it can be used get inputs from the dancing people or just for not to be in the stage :-) .
It can be also used in audio/video performances, once it is simply a Midi input device.

Technology



The Wrist Brace VJ has basically three elements in the communication process. There are the pin-buttons, the wrist brace and the base box that connects to the computer.
The pin-buttons are RF-Id tags that are read-only and have a unique number that will be assigned a specific command.
In the wrist brace, the ECM110-02 RF-Id reader will get this number and send to the PIC16F628 chip that will send this information to the RF transceiver. The PIC will be also managing and sending out the inputs from the accelerometer ADXL210E that is sensible to vertical and horizontal movements, the 2 axes defined by your stand up body and the arms opened.
This data sent by the wrist brace transceiver arrives in another transceiver in the base box. At the box, this information will be processed by software in a PIC 16F876, interpreted and converted to Midi signals.
Then the Midi signals go to the USB of the computer and are recognized by the software that the VJ uses. He can use the suggested assignment of the commands or can configure it according to personal style.

Storyboard Scenario
The first step was identify the possible commands that can be set with this tool. This exploration is documented in the Dance Positions Study page.

Video Scenario
Click here to see the video for the GoDance! wearable tool for VJs.

Process Pictures
Click here to see images of the different stages of the process.

Exercises

01 - Personal Items On and Near the Body
02 - Hybridization
03 - Considering Technological Constrains
04 - Assigning Technology to the Interaction

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5 License.