DORKBOT : SYDNEY

What: “People doing strange things with electricity”
Where: Serial Space, 33 Wellington St Chippendale
When: Tuesday 4th May, 19:00 for a 19:30 speakoff till 10ish
How: Run script

A fantastically well rounded program for this autumn meet-up.

P R E S E N T E R S

HIROFUMI UCHINO
The gear for noise! Introducing hand-made equipments to make “noise” by Hirofumi Uchino:Australian based Japanese artist who creates “noise” related performances, objects and exhibitions with wide range skills and methods. Founder of “Lastgasp Art Laboratories” and “Defektro”.
LAL website: http://lalweb.com
DEFEKTRO website: http://defektro.com

ALEX DAVIES
Alex Davies is going to discuss 2 projects that incorporate physical computing for childcare (The Robaupair) and entertainment (Häusliches Glück). A must for downtrodden parents and augmented reality enthusiasts alike!
more about Alex Davies’ work: http://schizophonia.com/

BE THERE AND BE SQUARE

What: “People doing strange things with electricity”
Where: Serial Space, 33 Wellington St Chippendale
When: Wednesday 31st March, 19:00 for a 19:30 speakoff till 10ish
How: Like… with your brain and your body too!

WOOT! It’s levelgasms and Wii-offs for a Wii spectacular month!

P R E S E N T E R S

JONATHAN PAPERT (Papst*r Audio Electronics) - Wii Nunchuck Noiser

In the world of 21st Century instruments - who still wants a bunch of knobs?? Well the Wii Nunchuck Noiser still has plenty of knobs but also assigns an element of control to this Wii accessory. Shake your fist to open a new world of noise! Based on the 4ms Noise Swash. http://4mspedals.com/swash.php

GEORGE KHUT + Thinking Through the Body

George Khut (Doctorate of Creative Arts, UWS) is an artist whose works combine interactive art, audience participation and story-sharing. He has been a guest lecturer and tutor at the School of Design, DAB, UTS, with Associate Professor Albertus Bongers. Recent exhibitions include ‘Enfoldings & Discolsures’ at UTS Gallery, 2008 and ‘The Heart Library Project’ at St. Vincent’s Public Hospital, Darlinghurst 2009. http://georgekhut.com/

Thinking Through The Body is a research ensemble led by George Khut and Lizzie Muller, with Jonathan Duckworth, Somaya Langley, Lian Loke, Garth Paine, Maggie Slattery and Catherine Truman. Paying attention to the experience of the body is the central activity of this project - weaving together approaches from interactive art and Feldenkrais somatic-bodywork. The ensemble create situations that invite participation, reframing our experience of ourselves and our relationship to the world around us - through use of various body-sensing technologies, image, sound and spoken word.

George will talk about his recent exhibition at St. Vincent’s Public Hospital, his work with bio-sensing and biofeedback, and some of the approaches to interactive art he has been developing as part of the Thinking Through The Body research group.

Come and see the interactive exhibition at Dablab UTS which ends this Friday the 26th! http://www.dab.uts.edu.au/dablab

S H O W + T E L L

We invite people to bring along projects they are working on or any other cool things to show in a free-for-all at the end of the night. This is a great time to talk to people about things that are coming up, events and what not. Bring in something you have found, something you have broken and show us what you’ve got!

AYBABTU

What: “People doing strange things with electricity”.
Where: Serial Space, 33 Wellington St Chippendale.
When: Tuesday 27th of October, 19:00 for 19:30 speak-off.
Cost: FREE!

Back to our regular scheduled monthly event!

P R E S E N T E R S

JOHN TONKIN

nervous system from John Tonkin on Vimeo.

‘nervous system’ is made up of twenty light and sound emitting poles that respond to their surroundings and each other. Each pole can react to temperature, light, sound and motion. Together they form a complex “biological” system that reflects both the environmental conditions in the park and the playful gestures of its visitors.

John Tonkin is a Sydney based artist who has been playing around with computers since the late 1970’s. ‘nervous system’ was made for the Gold Coast City Council as part of the Southport Broadwater Parklands redevelopment. John teaches within the Digital Cultures Program, University of Sydney and is represented by BREENSPACE, Sydney.

HARRIET BIRKS + SNOW CRASH

‘Snow Crash’ is a virtual landscape that recalls early flight simulators and low-fi computer graphics.
It is a finite world of reduced planes akin to sci-fi concepts of virtual worlds such as the ‘meta-verse’ in Neal Stephenson’s ‘Snow Crash’ or the ‘auto-verse’ in Greg Egan’s ‘Permutation City’… a parallel universe to Google Earth, World of Warcraft and Second Life. The audio track crackles with static interference suggesting possible radio transmissions from unseen origins. Pulsing black spheres float eerily in the sky. Clusters of quartz grow from mysterious ruins, resembling the ‘Crystal World’ of J.G. Ballard. In a simultaneous glance back at the past and to post-apocalyptic narratives of the future it provokes questions about our current direction and our changing technological landscape. ‘Snow Crash’ is a place of mysterious energy, a world that is self-organised from the chaos of white noise into a drifting static dream.
Harriet Birks is a Sydney based new media artist. She works with Audio Visual technologies and is a lecturer of animation at the College of Fine Arts, UNSW.
www.twodeadvoices.tk

S H O W + T E L L

We invite people to bring along projects they are working on or any other cool things to show in a free-for-all at the end of the night. This is a great time to talk to people about things that are coming up, events and what not. Bring in something you have found, something you have broken and show us what you’ve got!

NEWS : DORKBOT GROUP SHOW FEBRUARY 2010
We are also going to be having a Dorkbot Group show in February 2010. Think of it as somewhere between a gallery show and a science fair. There will be an open call for submissions in the next week and if you would like to hear some details about the show Pia van Gelder will be talking about how to apply and what we are looking for (pretty much anything awesome!).

Be there AND be square.

Where: Serial Space, 33 Wellington St Chippendale.
When: Tuesday 26th May, 19:00 for 19:30 speak-off.
Cost: FREE! < Bring along drinks and nibblies if you so wish.

P R E S T E N T E R S :

ROGER MILLS / IDEA OF SOUTH - RADIOPHONIC MULTICAST PRESENTATION

Idea of South is a contrapuntal radiophonic work for two radio stations and shoutcast stream composed by sound artist Roger Mills. Focussing on experiential sound design, Idea of South explores the possibilities of sound diffusion in the context of a live sound work for radio to be performed simultaneously on 2SER and FBI on Sunday June 14th at 10.30pm. Roger will be talking us through the inspiration and practicalities of composing a work like this with demo downloads for anyone with laptops.
http://www.eartrumpet.org/projects.html#ideaofsouth

LISA ANDREW - THE RAINBOW IS YOURS WITH VOLUME

The Rainbow is Yours with Volume is a work in progress at the Powerhouse Museum’s Beta Space next month. Images of video and installations, past and present, will be shown which negotiate space that is “public” including new video billboards advertising toponyms in the Australian suburban landscape which have a colour.

PIA VAN GELDER + THE VOICE MASK

The Voice Mask is a wearable instrument for vocal performance. The Voice Mask provides the performer with access to different sources of amplification built inside the external structure including a simple small dynamic microphone for aural noise and a contact microphone for textural noise. A glorified efx provesser, the Voice Mask allows the performer transform their voice into a little bird to a monstrous cacophony. The mask includes built-in wireless control using a hacked wii-mote and midi signal conversion. The transformation of the user’s voice depends on their position and movement input. The Voice Mask transforms the human voice into a fantastic creature.
Pia is performing with the Voice Mask and some members of her “Orchestra of Machines” on May 20th in Melbourne for the show Found Sound : The Experimental Instrument Project at Tape Projects.
www.piavangelder.com/
http://piavangelder.com/content/voice-mask
www.foundsoundproject.blogspot.com/

When: Tuesday 28th April, 7pm for a 7:30 speak-off.
Where: Serial Space, 33 Wellington St Chippendale
This month’s Dorkbot is sparktastic! With two explosive presentations and a show&tell session to end the night in a traditional Dorkbot free-for-all.

P R E S E N T E R S

LEIGH RUSSELL

Dorkbot regular and electronic 3D extraordinaire. Leigh also has a healthy interest in science in general but especially physics. He is all self taut and believes that eBay and Google are the two most powerful tools to the modern day scientist. Leigh has been looking into electrical discharge through air. His goal is to build a plasma speaker. Leigh will present his experiments.

MARK SIMPSON A.K.A. MOOK A.K.A. ROCKETCARDAY

Mark Simpson started Rocketcar Day in 2003, inviting his friends to add a rocket engine to anything they could find and putting on a race in a back alley. Inspired by the boringness of normal up-down rocketry, the aim of Rocketcar Day is to create a car that delicately balances the large forces of a C size rocket engine with something that rolls straight and also is hilarious. Now up to Rocketcar Day 11, it’s still a non-legal race in a back alley but now attracts over 100 people and 20 entrants. Mark will show photos of the development of what is now a yearly phenomena that brings a lot of DIY happiness to multiple generations, show some videos of the very frightening multi-car launches and a preview of a documentary being made about the day.
Rocketcar Day 11 is on Sunday May the 3rd.
www.rocketcarday.com

SHOW & TELL

We invite people to bring along projects they are working on or any other cool things to show in a free-for-all at the end of the night. This is a great time to talk to people about things that are coming up, events and what not. Bring in something you have found, something you have broken and show us what you’ve got!

Bring along some nibblies and drinks. Come and unite in the dorkdom that is Dorkbot!!!

P.S. If you are interested in doing a presentation for Dorkbot please feel free to email Pia using the contact link in the top left hand navbar. We are in constant search for new projects to be presented so don’t be a stranger!

This Tuesday the 24th say hello to a new year for Dorkbot-Syd and a new venue!

Serial Space will be hosting our first Dorkbot proper for the year. Serial Space is a new Artist Run Space located at 33 Wellington St Chippendale. Very close to central station for an easy commute and very roomy! Times are the usual 7pm for a 7:30 speakoff. Please bring along some nibblies if you please.

This month we have a real variety of presentations for our educational, audio, visual, interactive and tactile pleasure!

P R E S E N T E R S :

(in no specific order)

TW0 DEAD V0ICES

Two Dead Voices is a live Audio Visual act by Michael Aroustian and Harriet Birks, they use midi triggers, audio spectrum analysis, live video feeds, analogue synthesisers (KORG MS20, Oberheim Expander, RolandXOX boxes) and computers!! … to generate a warm minimal synaesthetic experience.



At this month they will attempt a mass hypnosis!

BALINT SEEBER & EYESWEB

Balint Seeber (Dorkbot regular) plans to present Eyesweb. “Eyesweb is a [Visual Programming-based] platform to support the development of real-time multimodal distributed interactive applications. It has been adopted in several other EU projects, has been licensed to more than 15,000 individual users, companies, and institutions. It is also used in University courses and summer schools.” Eyesweb is in a similar vein as Max/MSP, however it is grounded in the video/image processing world (as opposed to computer music). This allows for easier prototyping of such apps if you are already familiar with their basic concepts. In Balint’s spare time he used it to power: http://juliaburns.com/drift.php Balint intends to demonstrate how Eyesweb works and what you can do with it.

Please download it and bring it along on your WiFi-enabled laptop so you can follow along – even better if you can bring a video capture device (eg: internal/external webcam). He will attempt to lead everyone through the steps required to create (at least part of) a simple, fun, multimedia-enabled, interactive, networked program! If time allows, he shall explain why he is interested in Visual Programming Languages, and how he is trying to revolutionise the world of VPLs with his PhD research.

An example of analysis of expressive cues, using the Silhouette Motion Images (SMI) technique.

Homepage: http://www.infomus.org/

Download: ftp://ftp.infomus.org/Evaluate/EyesWeb/XMI/Version_5.0.2.x/EyesWeb_XMI_setup_5.0.2.0.exe

JAMES NICHOLS & DubTable

James Nichols is transforming his DubTable for our interactive pleasure. The DubTable is a manipulatable sound experiment, a surface on which you
can mix, twist and crush sounds using simple physical objects. A chance
for everyone to unleash their inner Lee Scratch Perry, the DubTable is
focused around dub sounds, but invites the user to twist the music in
any way using simple gestures.

YouTube Link here

Look forward to seeing you there!

Happy New Year Dorkbotters! Holiday season seems to be wrapping up no matter how much i deny the signs. But I am happy to be getting ready for another year of Dorkbot-Syd.

2008 was a great year for Dorkbot-Syd. It was really great to try some interesting new approaches to programing and it was good to have some months off as well. I am trying to get back to making some of my own work so it has been really good to take some time for myself and I plan to keep doing so this year. I am really hoping that we can continue on a kind of two month rhythm for the year.
Some good ideas I think I had that I will carry though are:

GUEST PROGRAMMING:
I got to attend my first Dorkbot and really be there as a member of the audience for February’s meetup with Wade Marynowsky as guest programmer. The idea of having a guest programmer was very successful. Wade was able to pull in some excellent presenters and a new crowd for the night that were fellow colleagues and friends of his and we also got to see what he was getting up to too. I know this was very refreshing for the usual crew and valuable new alliances were made. I would really like to try this again this year!

If you are interested in guest-programming a Dorkbot it’s VERY EASY, please feel free to send me an email to let me know that you are interested.
The job involves:

1. Choosing two or three people/groups to present a project.
2. Confirming their/your availability.
3. Locking in a month with me.
4. Collecting short paragraphs explaining what will be presented from each party including a picture for each presenter to post on the website and in the mail out. Emailing these details to me.
5. Show up early to help your presenters set up with me. THAT’S IT!!!

The best thing about guest programming is that you bring in your own people. I am sure most of us have friends and colleagues who would do a presentation if we asked them to. Our community isn’t humongous and Sydney is pretty sprawled out. It’s important to continue to help each other expand. Their are plenty of people who don’t yet know about Dorkbot who make strange things with electricity and so many people who just haven’t been able to make it there yet. This is a very good way of bringing those people in. Being the only ‘Overlord’, it’s a challenge to make new contacts continually. So if you know some people who would like to be a part of Dorkbot and might like to present, get into it!

SOCIAL EVENTS:
I would love to try another mid-year Beerbot and perhaps a crocket/picnic towards the end of the year. It’s nice to nerd-out in a more laid back context and really get a chance to talk to each other. Might be a nice opportunity to bring someone along too.

EXCURSIONS:
CuriousWorks were very kind and embracing to open their new headquarters to us for the May meetup last year. A very comfortable space and an excellent opportunity to see their work and the work of Neil Jenkins. Looking forward to organizing more excursions this year.

ELECTROFRINGE:
It was a real pleasure to be a part of the Electrofringe Festival again. Aras Vaichas organized another year of amazing hands-on circuit building workshops that were a huge success and we were also given an opportunity to share what we do to a larger audience in our panel. I am looking forward to coming up with some new ideas for Electrofringe 2009, if you are interested in getting involved let me know. It has proved to by quite successful for us to team together and submit a large application under the Dorkbot banner rather than separately. The applications are usually due by the 31st of March so it’s time to get brainstorming. I will have a talk about this when we meetup next.

Please let me know if you have any ideas for dorkbots in the future. My contact details are listed here. I am in need of people who want to do presentations. They don’t need to be formal and the projects don’t need to be complete, so no excuses! If you know anyone else who might be interested send me their details! Remember: Dorkbot is intended to be directed by it’s members. This includes you! It is what you make it.

Yours faithfully,

Pia van Gelder (your humble Dorkbot-Syd ‘Overlord’)

7pm for a 7:30 start at Sydney 302 Cleveland St, Surry Hills.
Bring some nibblies or drinks and gold coin donation.

Gearing up for Electrofringe Festival this labor day long weekend we have another interesting line-up…

P R E S E N T E R S

LEAGUE OF IMAGINARY SCIENTISTS

On their way to Electrofringe Festival in Newcastle for this October long weekend and a residency at Cusula Powerhouse. They call it “A Conversation on Blurriness” with the League of Imaginary Scientists’ Dr. Gomez and Swedish movement artist Carolina Bäckman: For Dorkbot Sydney, and as a prelude to finding Aurora at Electrofringe, Dr. Gomez of the League of Imaginary Scientists and Carolina Bäckman will discuss previous works and their current collaboration. You are invited to squint with them – please leave reality at the door as you explore the technology of choice and the possibility of chance.
www.imaginaryscience.org

MELISSA RAMOS + RHYS TURNER = XYRay

Melissa Ramos and Rhys Turner’s current installed artwork, XYRay at Australian Centre of Photography, on until the 4th of October, explores the user/viewer environment and attempts to blur the boundaries of online and offline social spaces and virtual game environments. The work issues the viewer a set of headphones to wear as they enter the gallery space. The viewer listens to sounds scattered through the gallery like Easter eggs in a game until they will finally end up as a Skelton avatar in the game itself. They explore a pixel art virtual environment with sound and play with other skeletons and surrounding artworks.

Melissa and Rhys have received a commission from Experimenta to develop another artwork based on ‘XYRay’ called ‘Heard’ which takes the concept further and develops a more complex iteration of the technology and medium, including multi avatars, chat and more interaction. Although ‘Heard’ is in concept and development stages, the work plans to use a combination of triangulation tracking technologies from CrossBox Cricket Mote and Arduino Bluetooth with a sound WaveShield.

Melissa and Rhys are looking for expressions of interest to work with them on the project. In particular they seek a C programmer, or someone who has had experience with or interest in the Crossbow Sonar/RF Cricket Mote technology, Triangulation, TinyOS and/or MIB510CA or similar to help them realize this artwork. For more information contact Rhys via the website

Look forward to seeing you all! Hope you’ll make it to Electrofringe this approaching long weekend! We have a two full day workshops called “Dorkshop” on both Saturday and Sunday and a presentation on Friday called “The Year in Dorkbot” in the festival. Look up the program on their website for details.

PEACE!

7pm for a 7:30 start.
This month we are back at Sydney 302 Cleveland St, Surry Hills.
Bring some nibblies or drinks and gold coin donation

This month we have two presentations from Dorkbot faithfulls:

ARAS VAICHAS

(who was missing last meeting)

Aras Vaichas is an artist+engineer who works fulltime as an embedded
software and electronics engineer. He creates simple but snazzy kits so
others can learn about electronics and technology.
The WävRüta is a microcontroller based audio effects units. It was
designed for one of the Dorkshop workshops that will be held during the
Electrofringe 2008 festival in Newcastle.The name is pronounced “Wave Rooter”. 
So called because it really fucks
with your audio.”

To see some videos of Aras’ creations go to: http://www.youtube.com/user/ArtistEngineer

PIA VAN GELDER

Pia van Gelder is an electronic artist/ Dorkbot Overlord. Her work has ranged from performance based video/audio work to animation and instrument building. She has been conducting some experiments and research in 3D or stereo photography and video and it’s peripheries. She will show some of her failed and working attempts and talk a bit about other people who are making similar stuff.

SHOW & TELL

Please feel free to bring along something that you have made even if it aint finished and show us what you’re working on. This is also a good time to talk about things that are going on at the moment in our community.

Be there & be … you know.

7pm for 7:30 speak off.

-IMPORTANT NOTES!!!-

This month we are being hosted by CuriousWorks at their new office warehouse space in Surry Hills.
Suite 402, 11 Randle St, Surry Hills. Map

Bring a pillow or something to rest your weary bones.

There will also be some interactive work involving the internet so bring along your laptop to join in!

This month’s speakers are as follows:

: : : ARAS VAICHAS : : :

Aras Vaichas is an artist+engineer who works fulltime as an embedded
software and electronics engineer. He creates simple but snazzy kits so
others can learn about electronics and technology.
The WävRüta is a microcontroller based audio effects units. It was
designed for one of the Dorkshop workshops that will be held during the
Electrofringe 2008 festival in Newcastle.The name is pronounced “Wave Rooter”.
So called because it really fucks
with your audio.”

http://www.youtube.com/user/ArtistEngineer

CURIOUSWORKS



CuriousWorks will present two sets of technologies, still in development. One is an open-source node sequencer array that triggers images, audio and video in real time. Combined with Johnny Lee’s wiimote/infra-red pen touch screen interface, this becomes a touch-based, realtime, media triggering system. We’ll demo this application at the presentation. The other stream of research has been into wearable and/or portable digital media gear. For example - straps that you wrap around your shoes that trigger audio or video as you walk. We are evolving this technology to create a puppeteer’s suit that will interact with real-life electronic objects and virtual online environments at the same time. A video of our research goals and prototypes of the technology will be shown.

http://www.curiousworks.com.au/

NEIL JENKINS



Neil Jenkins is an artist and programmer whose current practice is
heavily engaged with electronic media, language and networked
communication.
He will present two pieces of work, Exquisite Copse, a generative
piece and play on the surrealist game, Exquisite Corpse, that visually
rewrites existing works of literature into a forest of word trees and
Visitors Studio, an online multiuser platform developed with
Furtherfield.org that facilitates real time collaborative audio-visual
mixing over the internet.
everyone is invited to bring their laptops to join the online
visitors studio mix during the presentation (needs web browser with
flash plugin)

http://www.exquisitecopse.net
http://visitorsstudio.org

SHOW & TELL

As usual there will be a Show & Tell at the end for anyone who wants to bring some stuff they feel like showing off. Things like flyers for upcoming events or websites we stumbled on with cool things or unfinished/broken/just jotted down ideas and works in progress are welcome. It is a great time to promote your own or your friend’s stuff or get ideas from others in the audience for problem solving etc.

Bring Drinks & Nibblies and friends and pillows!

NEXT MONTH’S DORKBOT : If you want to talk at Dorkbot please just email dorkbotsyd@dorkbot.org. We would be THRILLED to hear from you!