UW-Stout student makes music through art and technology
Wednesday, June 25, 2008 1:24 PM CDT
Derek Olson of Sussex, an art student with a concentration in multimedia design, has created an installation that allows anyone to use and interact with music by using a computer touch screen. An individual’s touch on the screen triggers a mathematical algorithm and the outcome is music.
His work, titled “Transient MultiTouch Interface,” caught the attention of the Association for Computer Machinery Special Interest Group on Graphics, known as ACM/SIGGRAPH. SIGGRAPH officials selected Olson’s work as the second place entry in the physical installation category of the association’s Space Time Interactive Competition.
His work will be exhibited at the 35th International Conference and Exhibition on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques to be held August 11-15 in Los Angeles.
“While we have had students with posters at the conference, this installation piece is a first,” Susan Hunt, chair of the art and design department, said. “It is exciting to have a student’s work presented at a conference like SIGGRAPH, which has more than 40,000 people in attendance from around the world.”
Olson’s work is unique because his touch screen allows for an unlimited number of simultaneous touches. Normal touch screens allow only one touch at a time.
“The interface technology allows for more than one person to interact with it at the same time, which gives rise to interesting outcomes,” Olson said.
Olson created the project from scratch for a capstone course in multimedia design, taught by assistant professor Phillip Motley.
“His project is a multi-touch screen interface that allows the user to make music by interacting with simple elements on the screen,” Motley said. “To fully understand the scope of the project requires interacting with it.”
Olson researched interface technologies, such as the new technologies used in the Apple iPhone and Microsoft Surface. He also drew upon his knowledge and interest in musical performance and theory, computer programming and electronics.
“I wanted to create something that anyone could use and interact with to create and learn about music,” Olson said.
Olson will attend the SIGGRAPH conference, where his work will be installed and viewed by an international audience.
The SIGGRAPH conference is considered the industry’s most respected technical and creative program focusing on research, science, art, animation, gaming, interactivity, education and the Web.
His project also has received an honorable mention in installation design in the Adobe Design Achievement Awards, which will be held in New York in August.
A brief video clip of Olson’s project can be viewed at http://derekolson. blogsite.org/projects/tran sient/transient.mov. |
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