Tag Archives: Aarhus

Ideas on how to adapt Kinect camera tracking for 3D presentations in archaeology

3D and game editors, Academic, Biofeedback, Hand tracking, heritage, HIVE, , , ,

I did not mention all these in my 22 May presentation at Digital Heritage 3D conference in Aarhus (http://conferences.au.dk/digitalheritage/)

But here are some working notes for future development:

How Xbox Kinect camera tracking could change the simulated avatar:

  1. Avatars in the simulated world change their size clothing or inventories – they scale relative to typical sizes and shapes of the typical inhabitants, or scale is dependent on the scene or avatar character chosen.
  2. Avatars change to reflect people picking up things.
  3. Avatars role-play – different avatars see different things in the digital world.
  4. Narrator gestures affect the attention or behavior of the avatar.

How Xbox Kinect camera tracking could change the simulated world or digital objects in that world:

  1. Multiple players are needed to lift and examine objects.
  2. Objects move depending on the biofeedback of the audience or the presenter.
  3. Interfaces for Skype and Google hangout – remote audiences can select part of the screen and filter scenes or wire-frame the main model.
  4. Levels of authenticity and time layers can be controlled or are passively / indirectly affected by narrator motion or audience motion / volume / infrared output.

abstract: Motion Control For Remote Archaeological Presentations

Architecture, Conference, heritage, , , , , , , , , ,

My abstract for 21 May talk at the Digital Heritage 3D representation conference at Moesgaard Museum Aarhus Denmark

Title: Motion Control For Remote Archaeological Presentations

Displaying research data between archaeologists or to the general public is usually through linear presentations, timed or stepped through by a presenter. Through the use of motion tracking and gestures being tracked by a camera sensor, presenters can provide a more engaging experience to their audience, as they won’t have to rely on prepared static media, timing, or a mouse. While low-cost camera tracking allow participants to have their gestures, movements, and group behaviour fed into the virtual environment, either directly (the presenter is streamed) or indirectly (a character represents the presenter).

Using an 8 metre wide curved display (Figure 1) that can feature several on-screen panes at once, the audience can view the presenter next to a digital environment, with slides or movies or other presentation media triggered by the presenter’s hand or arm pointing at specific objects (Figure 2). An alternative is for a character inside the digital environment mirroring the body gestures of the presenter; where the virtual character points will trigger slides or other media that relates to the highlighted 3D objects in the digital scene.

Acknowledgement: I would like to thank iVEC summer intern Samuel Warnock for kicking off the prototype development for me and Zigfu for allowing us access to their SDK.

Figure 1. Screenshot of stereo curved screen at the HIVE, Curtin University.

Figure 2. Screenshot of prototype and pointing mechanism at the HIVE, Curtin University.

cfp: Digital Heritage: 3D representationMay 21-22, 2015 Aarhus Denmark

cfp, Conference, virtual heritage, , , , , , ,

Digital Heritage is an annual conference hosted by the Centre for Digital Heritage. This year, the conference will be taking place at the newly reopened Moesgaard Museum, Aarhus, Denmark. The theme will be ‘3D representation in knowledge production’ by means of which we wish to enhance and solidify the presence of this new tool within digital heritage research. We are particularly keen to encourage presentations which relate to the scientific application of 3D in Digital Heritage research moving beyond visualization and dissemination.

http://conferences.au.dk/digitalheritage/

Cheap registration, free wine reception, the venue is the new and stunning Moesgaard Museum, what more can you ask for? Oh yes deadline is 19 January 2015. And yes I may be in Europe just before then for a conference, DiGRA in Germany but there are only 200 places and my university won’t open again until early January so you may just have to attend and present for me..:)

PS guess who wrote the application for Aarhus to join the international centre network for digital heritage!

PhD in DIGITAL HERITAGE AND VIRTUAL CULTURE (4+4 OR 5+3) Aarhus University

Academic, Announcements, Digital Humanities, PhD, virtual heritage, , , , ,

Link http://talent.au.dk/phd/arts/open-calls/phd-call-116/

The Graduate School of Arts, Faculty of Arts, Aarhus University invites applications for a PhD scholarship in Digital Heritage and Virtual Culture. This scholarship is available as of 1 September 2013 for a period of up to three years (5+3) or up to four years (4+4). Candidates who are awarded the scholarship must commence their PhD programme on 1 September 2013.
Digitized and digital resources with archival institutions such as museums, libraries and research institutions are increasingly being made accessible for research, educational and public use and interaction. Digital resources and data may be both cultural heritage and everyday culture resources, and making such resources accessible and enriching them for innovative research, educational and public use and interaction are central tasks of the digital humanities.
The Danish Digital Humanities Lab (DIGHUMLAB DK), anchored at Aarhus University, is a national consortium engaged in digital humanities projects and in developing digital research infrastructures for the humanities and social sciences. With interdisciplinarity and collaborative research at the core of our vision, DIGHUMLAB can offer the PhD scholar collaborative networks with AU research centres (eg Centre for Advanced Visualization and Interaction, Centre for Participatory IT) and with interdisciplinary research environments including Smart Aarhus and the university’s research programmes in digital design, information science, media studies, archaeology, museology, anthropology and experience economy, as well as with international research networks and projects.
Proposals for PhD projects should focus on research in and development of methods, tools and applications for production, representation and dissemination of digital heritage and virtual culture, and may involve applied research in the development and deployment of GIS-based projects, digital heritage archives, 3D visualizations, interactive digital simulations, design or evaluation of cultural simulations in virtual environments, or game-based learning for digital archaeology and interactive history projects.
There is also a related research application to set up a network of digital heritage research, which Aarhus University is pursuing with other leading European Universities. If that grant is successful, the applicant may work as part of this new international network in digital heritage, or the research could be fractionally combined with the PhD scholarship in Heritage Studies.
Application deadline: 15 March 2013 at 23:59 Reference No: 2013-218/1-116

23 January 2013 DIGHUMLAB kickoff, Aarhus University Denmark

Academic, Digital Humanities, virtual heritage, , ,

Over on the dighumlab.dk website we have a launch tomorrow, free admission! I have 15 minutes to speak about DIGHUMLAB and tools and sevices to help digital humanists, especially those starting off with traditional historical and heritage/basd backgrounds, phew!

09.45  History and Cultural Heritage
Projektleder Erik Champion, DIGHUMLAB

The talk will provide a short overview of digital humanities research, particularly tools, methods, and data, currently or about to be used in the fields of history and cultural heritage.

I thought I might briefly mention

  1. Issues and debates in the Digital Humanities and where DIGHUMLAB stand.
  2. DIGHUMLAB goal and mission statement.
  3. There are new proposals for centers, even as we speak! For example at Princeton!
  4. Some famous and useful case studies, tools and methods such as Programming for Historians, bamboo DiRT, and some publishing services: commentpress, open edition, and the reputed and proposed humanities counterpart to PLOSone.
  5. European organizations, DARIAH, CLARIN, NeDiMAH, Telearc, etc.. and wider afield, organizations like HASTAC and http://www.arts-humanities.net.
  6. If I have time *I won’t, I might mention the latest book, my next book project entitled Critical Gaming, the Handbook of Virtuality, and some past case studies.

cfp: MEDIA ARCHITECTURE

Architecture, Conference, design, Digital Humanities, game, virtual heritage, , ,

http://www.mediaarchitecture.org/wp-content/uploads/MAB_2012-Call_for_papers.pdf MEDIA ARCHITECTURE BIENNALE 2012
November 15-17, 2012
Aarhus, Denmark
Building on the successful event in Vienna 2010, Media Architecture Biennale 2012 brings together artists, practitioners and researchers from academia and industry in the ongoing exploration of the meeting between architecture and digital media. The 2012 Biennale comprises an academic conference track, exhibitions, and industry sessions, as well as a full day of workshops. Our vision is to provide an excellent forum for debate and knowledge exchange; to offer a unique opportunity that brings together the best minds and organizations; and to highlight state-of-the-art and experimental research in media architecture.

Important Dates for Papers
Papers submission deadline: July 20, 2012
Notification of acceptance: Sept 5
Camera-ready submission: Sept 25
Conference: Nov 15-17 2012

DIGHUMLAB, Denmark, and me..

Academic, design, Digital Humanities, virtual heritage, , , , ,

I will take up a new role in Aarhus Denmark, project leader/manager of DIGHUMLAB, (or DigHumLab), the new Digital Humanities Lab, to “to spearhead the structuring of the national research infrastructure DIGHUMLAB”. It is hosted by Aarhus University, but part of a consortium including Aarhus University, Aalborg University, the University of Copenhagen and the University of Southern Denmark.