| We believe that the computer revolution has left most of you behind. Steve Jobs had similar thoughts when he founded Apple Computer and set out to build “computers for the rest of us.” The idea was to enable people who were not computer experts—like artists, educators, and children—to take advantage of the power of computing. The graphical user interface (GUI) popularized by Apple was wildly successful, widely copied, and is now the standard interface of almost all personal computers. Thanks to this interface, people from all walks of life use computers.
Now we need to make “computers for the rest of you.” We need computers that respond to the rest of your body and the rest of your world. GUI technology allows you to drag and drop, but it won’t notice if you twist and shout. It’s made it easy to open a folder and start a program, but we’d like a computer to be able to open a door or start a car. Personal computers have evolved in an office environment in which you sit on your butt, moving only your fingers, entering and receiving information censored by your conscious mind. That is not your whole life, and probably not even the best part. We need to think about computers that sense more of your body, serve you in more places, and convey physical expression in addition to information.
In more than a decade of teaching physical computing at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, we have found people from very diverse backgrounds looking to bridge this gap between the physical and the virtual. Perhaps you are a sculptor who would like different sounds or videos to play depending on where a person touches your sculpture, or a dancer who wants a knee bend to cause bells to ring. Maybe you are a sociologist who needs to automatically log how many people pass a street corner. Maybe you’re a teacher who wants to make tools for children to understand the world by doing rather than just reading. Or maybe you just want your window blinds to be lowered automatically in the afternoon if it’s hot outside. Regardless of your background or technical experience, this book is designed to help you make a more interesting connection between the physical world and the computer world.
About the Author
Tom Igoe is a professor of physical computing at the Interactive Telecommunications Program in the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. He teaches courses in physical computing and networking, exploring ways to integrate the Internet more fully in everyday activity. Coming from a background in theater, his work centers on physical interaction related to live performance and public space. His consulting work and collaborations include work with orchestras, architects, dancers, musicians, and social activists. He hopes someday to work with monkeys, as well. Dan O'Sullivan is a professor at the Interactive Telecommunications Program at New York University. His work centers around the connection between virtual and physical spaces. On the virtual side he was the creator of QuicktimeVR as a member of the original Quicktime team at Apple Computer. He went on to developed such interactive enviroments as "Dan's Apartment," "YORB" and "Space of Faces." His physical installations range from musical instruments to carnival games to psychology experiements. |
