Hardware and sources

2 x 5 m firewire cable: 6pin / 6pin
http://www.lindy.com/uk/productfolder/03/32/32908/index.php mmhh, bad idea. One of the repeater cables stopped working after six weeks of continuous use.

10 m firewire cable: connect camera to computer directly without adaptor cable. 4pin / 6pin
http://www.lindy.com/uk/productfolder/03/30/30875/index.php

10 m s-vga cable:
http://www.lindy.com/uk/productfolder/03/37/37366/index.php

20 m x 2 ethernet cable:
Should be available from the friendly and competent technicians in-house.

Firewire Booster/Repeater Kramer VS-30FW:
http://www.ivojo.co.uk/kramer-vs-30fw.htm

Camera and infrared lights

We are using a Sony with Nightvision.

Infrared lights

Possible sources:
Micromark MM18166 Mini Infra-red Floodlight (which doesn't appear to be ready to use) or this one 104-LED Infra-Red Illuminator

Radiomap is made with Macromedia’s “Director MX 2004” and runs on two computers: a Mac that does the video-tracking - and a PC that updates the map and plays the streaming-radio. It requires a reasonably fast Internet connection (DSL), an appropriate video projector and a video camera both mounted on the ceiling to achieve a large projection/tracking area of 8x4 Meters (with the help of a large mirror). The tracking of participants itself is performed by the Director application using the “trackthemcolors” bitmap tracking plugin (Xtra). Here, changes in successive video frames of the ceiling camera are compared to each other and converted into a persons’ position and direction of movement. These are indicated by an augmented “Point of Interest” (PoI) and a augmented line & ring element that is projected onto the map into the person’s direction of movement. If several participants are detected, their mean distance to each other is calculated and the single PoI becomes shared by all of them. The PoIs’ position is compared to the location of 200 radio stations in the applications database. As the PoI approaches a radio location its audio stream is initiated from the server and becomes audible over two speakers. Its volume increases upon decreasing distance. Proximity to stations and their names are indicated by text and opacity changes of the PoI.
I selected the radio stations included in the database based on a variety of considerations. Among these most important are geographical location and “local colour”. Content “format”, file-format (real audio, WMP, streaming Quicktime, streaming mp3), their bandwidth (quality) and reliability are considered as well. A sole station at the “periphery” is more likely to be included; its content matters less then its geographical location on the map. In areas with larger varieties to choose from, those stations are favoured that have a lively “feel” about them and report about local events, local news and traffic reports rather than just streaming music of a certain genre.

Studio @ Psalter Lane

Preparing the space: The mirror 1220x2440 mm will be fastened to the beam.

More images at Radiomap environment