SIGGRAPH '24: ACM SIGGRAPH 2024 Labs

The chin interface is a wearable device that allows for peripheral interaction during everyday activities. Simple sensors and software use steady and unsteady movement data generated from everyday activities like eating, exercising, practicing guitar, or using the computer to interact with peripheral screens directed through the chin. One, two, and three button iterations of the chin interface require different levels of attention for distinct peripheral interaction experiences. Different experiences with peripheral screens can include playing back text one word at a time, slowly coloring in the letters of large words, or patiently typing out statements by selecting keys on an onscreen keyboard.

We introduce demoConstruct, an open-source project aimed at developing an accessible collaborative scene authoring tool for immersive applications, catering to both professional and untrained users. The tool employs progressive reconstruction, enabling simultaneous near real-time scene acquisition and editing tasks, including editing in Virtual Reality (VR). And, can be applied to multiple use cases, such as reconstructing disaster struck areas in near real-time for remote responders to plan and simulate operations. Participants will have the opportunity to experience an alpha version of demoConstruct, allowing them to construct their immersive environments during the lab. This experience aims to foster academic discourse and stimulate discussions to collectively advance this research area through an open-source initiative.

We introduce a user-friendly method for creating intricate paper circuit boards. Complex paper circuits are typically printed using conductive ink, but the expertise and experience required for this technique can be a barrier to entry for many. Our solution involves the use of zone-based circuit stickers, which empower individuals with little to no technical background to construct intricate paper circuits. We made those stickers from copper tape using a household vinyl cutter. In the presentation and demo, we will provide a detailed overview of the design process for zone-based circuits, along with insights from various design iterations. This work is an important step in democratizing the small-batch production of complex circuit boards, making them more approachable and flexible for a wider audience.

This work introduces Tonii, an integration of augmented reality (AR) technology, artistic expression, community engagement and social empowerment. Tonii empowers participants to craft unique amulets adorned with symbols that encapsulate fundamental values for cultivating safe and inclusive digital realms. Utilizing advanced machine learning techniques, these symbols serve as keys to unlock AR suits, offering users a tangible connection between virtual experiences and real-world identities. This endeavor not only narrows the divide between digital and tangible realms but also underscores the critical roles of technological inclusivity and societal empowerment.

This paper presents Voxel Earth, a novel pipeline for automatically converting Google Maps Photorealistic 3D Tiles into voxels, enabling the creation of interactive virtual worlds in Minecraft, web browsers, and VR environments. Our approach addresses the challenge of representing the Earth’s geography in voxel-based platforms, offering a scalable and dynamic solution that preserves detail and accuracy. We discuss the technical challenges, applications, and future directions of this technology, highlighting its potential to revolutionize digital earth representation and enhance our understanding of the planet’s diverse landscapes.

A workshop is proposed in which participants will build an electronic circuit on a piece of wood that creates a musical instrument. Creativity and non-conformity are encouraged. Participants will keep their creation with which they can entertain or annoy their family, friends, and colleagues. No prior skills are required; all materials will be provided.

Our pair of DIY Love Messengers are 3D-printed, small and light devices that allow users to communicate with each other, no matter how far apart they are around the world. The devices are powered by ESP32 microcontrollers, which allow direct communication between one another using Internet of Things (IoT) technology. The microcontrollers are able to send and read data from each other via a real-time database that stores the information sent by each device. They are also extremely straightforward in functionality - when either user presses the button on their Love Messenger, the lights on both Love Messengers light up simultaneously. This is a simple gesture that enriches relationships and connections, and is a meaningful gift for friends, loved ones and especially any form of long-distance relationship. The DIY Love Messengers are completely open-sourced and beginner-friendly to build, and are a simple application to demonstrate the interactive possibilities of IoT in enriching human relationships.

This hands-on course will guide participants through a creative workflow we call data materialization. Data materialization is a sub-genre of data art/data physicalization that utilizes data connected to a concept to assist in generating a 3D form to be fabricated in a meaningful material. Participants will be introduced to computational design fundamentals and foundational elements and principles of design, guided through a workflow that begins by collecting data and culminates in the design and fabrication plans of a designed data object. Tapping into the universal feeling of worry, participants in this course will design meaningful worry bead designs from associated data.

“The Real Breadboard: Creating an Electronic Sandwich” is a hands-on class that allows participants to experiment with electronic circuit techniques while exploring concepts surrounding electronic technology's pervasive invasion into all aspects of public and private life.

Participants use electronic circuit prototyping techniques to create a satirical object that uses bread as a prototyping breadboard, exposing the absurdity accompanying certain technological “advancements” and our media-rich diets that creep into everything, including your sandwich. Participants will take away their creations and increase their appetite for conceptual/technical experimentation.

First developed in the isolation of an art studio, the expansion of this project into a participatory workshop conduces collaboration and broadens the possible interpretations of the inherent concepts while inviting the integration of new ideas from a larger and more diverse audience.

This hands-on class introduces participants to the project's concept and prototyping using breadboards. The class provides electronic components such as microcontrollers and LEDs, from which participants build and code circuits to control an LED matrix. This circuit is built on actual bread to create the electronic sandwich with the components inside the sandwich as ingredients and the LEDs visible outside the sandwich through the bread.

Participants, provided with sample code and libraries, will write the code to make creative animations on the LEDs, which will appear on top of the sandwich. The result might be a pattern, a graphic drawing, or text. Participants combine their LED designs with laser-engraved images of their creation toasted into the bread, which also appears on the top slice of bread of the sandwich. The creative combination of these processes allows participants to explore exciting concepts. Inserting electronic consumerism into something meant for human internal consumption provides a thoughtful platform for participants to be creative and have fun.

In a world where a sandwich with grill marks that loosely resemble a religious icon sells online for a ludicrous amount, maybe it's not so far-fetched to have electronic components in our food. Maybe your electronic sandwich's LED matrix informs you of its ingredients or nutritional content. Perhaps your electronic sandwich displays an attractive design, so you choose it over those boring sandwiches to its left and right that only show their price and expiration date. Possibly, there's also a dark side. Is your electronic sandwich a data harvesting device relaying the contents of your bowels to advertisers and insurance agents? Or is it spewing misinformation and claiming a hotdog isn't a sandwich?

As society continues to inundate every human experience and interaction with digital technology and media, we must reflect on these choices. Although this project is superfluous on its surface, the deeper goal is contemplation.

Creating embodied interactive experiences has historically required a host of custom hardware sensors. With developments in computer vision and accessible software solutions it is now possible to create a variety of interactive experiences using only a webcam and laptop. Our hands-on lab, "Exploring Embodied Interactive Techniques: with TouchDesigner and MediaPipe," delves into these possibilities. Throughout the lab, participants will be introduced to TouchDesigner and MediaPipe, alongside other computer vision and AI techniques. Techniques covered include, Hand / Gesture Tracking, Facial Landmark Detection, Pose tracking, and Object Tracking. This mix of techniques highlights the diverse set of inputs and outputs available to creators. Through demonstrations and activities, we will showcase the potential applications of these tools in creating interactive experiences. Participants will gain practical skills and knowledge with these freely available tools. Furthermore, examples and case studies from the presenters will add real world context to the presentation.

This lab introduces aspiring or current game designers with limited programming knowledge, to concepts that can be used to create digital game prototypes. Four basic concepts are presented as ingredients (vectors, time, collisions, and lines and rays), each with explanations and examples demonstrated in Unreal and Unity. Then examples are provided on how the ingredients can be combined into recipes to create common gameplay mechanics for prototyping. This is not an exhaustive list of everything someone needs to develop digital game prototypes, however, it serves as a good starting point for beginners who may want to start designing and prototyping games with limited knowledge of programming in game engines. This lab assumes a basic understanding of Unreal, Unity, or a comparable game engine, but programming experience is not required. Upon completion of this lab, participants should have several recipes they can use, build on, and modify for creating simple game play mechanics for prototyping. The example projects used in the lab will be available for download.