[ISEA2013] Paper: George Legrady, Marco Pinter & Danny Bazo – Swarm Vision

Abstract

Initiated by research in autonomous swarm robotic camera behavior, SwarmVision is an installation consisting of multiple Pan-Tilt-Zoom cameras on rails positioned above spectators in an exhibition space, where each camera behaves autonomously based on programmed rules of computer vision. Each of the cameras are programmed to detect visual information of interest based on separate computer vision algorithms, and each negotiates with the other two, influencing what subject matter to study in a collective way. The realtime visualizations of what the cameras see are positioned in spatially-reconstructed representation of their three-dimensional visual environment. Each camera’s images are placed at the distance of focus in the virtual space, generating emergent sculptural forms out of the overlaid flat images which are positioned in relation to each other within the virtual space. In the exhibition setting, visual segments of spectators who enter the viewing space populate the images leaving an imprint of their presence which are later erased as the images sequentially fade away.

  • George Legrady, Media Arts & Technology, University of California, United States
  • Marco Pinter, Media Arts & Technology, University of California, United States
  • Danny Bazo, Media Arts & Technology, University of California, United States. Danny Bazo is a doctoral student in the Media Arts & Technology program has a background in Visual Arts, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, and an M.Sc. in Advanced Mechanical Engineering. With training in both the fine arts and engineering, Danny’s research is focused on robotics and signal processing. George Legrady is a digital interactive artist who directs the Experimental Visualization Lab at UCSB. Marco Pinter is an engineer currently pursuing a PhD in Media Arts & Technology with a focus on expanding his work in installations and performances which fuse physical kinetic form with live performance and visualizations.

Research funding; Robert W, Deutsch Foundation, National Science Foundation.