Date of Award

5-23-2010

Document Type

Thesis (Undergraduate)

Department or Program

Department of Computer Science

First Advisor

Fabio Pellacini

Abstract

When we interact with computers, we have set expectations about our interactive experience, operating a mouse and keyboard to elicit predictable responses on a screen. Intersecting the world of Computing with Fine Art gains us potential to innovate outside these bounds by restricting the expected performance of a computer-- setting it to a particular purpose rather than allowing it to run anyone's software. To challenge standard human-computer interaction, this work set out to create an interesting and unusual interactive experience, fully integrated into a sculpture. The approach was to design a system to form a small environment, having many components rather than risking everything on any one feature. To push the bounds of Fine Art interactions, the work addresses time-control using video in a manner that painting or static sculpture cannot achieve. The result is The Curious Timekeeper, a large sculpture of a whimsical bird that hopes to bewilder viewers, to encourage them to consider the role of computing in their lives and in art.

Comments

Originally posted in the Dartmouth College Computer Science Technical Report Series, number TR2010-670.

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