Magical corridor: from the brain to the body

Picture This!: Algorithmic film assembly using toy gestures.

Making a movie at the extension of natural play!

What is it? Picture This! is a new input device embedded in children’s toys for video composition. Improvisational theater sessions with toys are analyzed and used as expressive tools for making a final movie, turning movie-making into a natural extension of play.

What does it do? With Picture This! the child’s toy becomes a camera person as opposed to having the child hold a camera directly. As a child plays with the toy that holds the camera, its video feed is projected on a screen in front of her in real time. Picture This! analyzes the child’s gestures and conduct film assembly.

Research in human computer interaction I propose a new genre of Gesture Object Interfaces. It relies on the analysis of gestures coupled with objects to represent bits.

Research project I created at the MIT Media Laboratory at the Tangible Media Group with my adviser Dr. Hiroshi Ishii.

Check out the Picture This! web site !

Tangible approaches to capturing, editing and performing videos.

My research framework on video is based on a series of interfaces that I designed for 4-14 year olds throughout which I gradually progressed from a text based video presentation system: Textable Movie (1), a tangible representation of media story for capture, editing and projection: Moving Pictures (2), a system to create media stories about robotic toys using a video game controller: Terraria (3), to making a movie at the extension of natural play: Picture This! (4). I transitioned from a computer-screen-keyboard to a gesture object based interface for video expression.

Check also my Portfolio!