This has been my first attempt at building a performance tool, sourcing cheap parts makes the project accessible but very limited in its functionality in the end stages. The trial and error aspect of homebrew electronics requires patience, time and the ability to compromise on the intended outcome of the project.
Through the process I discovered many other methods for creating a multitouch surface, most of which are far more effective for the scope of the application I intended for it.
Gestural control is the direction I would like to explore, but with a more competent surface, many more channels and a much wider array of gestures to explore.
The actual area of the surface that was able to recognize and track input ended up being less than a foot square, which severely cripples articulation. I put this down mostly to the poor resolution of the webcam (320x320)
Not only did it become cramped to make multitouch gestures, the camera had difficulty tracking when the shadow of both hands/arms and my head loomed over the surface. With such a small area to use, much smaller movements were required, which was also difficult for the slow framerate on the camera. Values would not change smoothly, the effect being jerky and latent - breaking immersion and working against the mapping assignments I had created specifically.
Thankfully, a higher quality webcam with a faster framerate and larger resolution and the IR lights I mentioned in the blog will be all that is require to attempt this again. With the Kinect fad I had not particularly been interested in gestural control, but in the context of a surface (specifically my studio desk) it is plainly the most logical way forward for any expressive project. Mice and keyboards are very inefficient for any meaningful expressive input.
Involving tactility in the creative process is vital. I look forward to exploring this further, especially in the context of multichannel audio.
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