In QLab each story is given a keyboard shortcut. We created a small program called RFIDLab to act as a bridge between the RFID reader and QLab itself. It can however be triggered by MIDI commands or keyboard shortcuts. QLab itself has no support for being triggered by RFID. Using QLab fixes this problem as the piece can be authored and edited using the nice interface without having to contract a developer. #Qlab shortcuts softwareA problem with this approach is that to make any changes to the piece then you need a software developer, which can be costly and slow down the speed of iteration. During previous projects, such as The Unicorn and Magician's Desk, we have used custom written software for playing audio & video based on triggers such as switches, pressure sensors and proximity detectors. It is also easy to create and control playlists of video & audio. It can play back audio & video and control lighting. #Qlab shortcuts mac os xQlab is a Mac OS X application designed for show control in theatre. For Theatre Jukebox we used small circular tags about the size of a penny. Tags vary in size from a card such as the oyster card to a tiny capsule. This is similar for how reading the barcode on an item in the supermarket works, only it does not require a visible barcode as the tag can be hidden inside the object. When this tag is close (normally a few centimetres) to a RFID reader it can be read, revealing the unique identification number of the tag. To do so a tiny combination of antenna and microchip called an RFID tag is placed inside the object. RFID is a technology that allows a machine to identify an object presented to it. Which postcard has been chosen is detected using RFID. Tropo in particular makes it very easy to quickly build phone systems of this sort. This would allow us to possibly charge for the experience using a premium rate phone call and to capture the callers phone number for later sending them a text message or audio clip as a reminder of the experience.Įach of these small experiments took a few hours to implement using the Tropo platform for making and receiving calls and a small web application built in Ruby & Sinatra, hosted on Heroku, for the user interface. The audience would start the experience by making a phone call to the jukebox and choosing from a menu of possible stories using the keypad. For example we played with integrating the mobile phone of the participant into the piece in a number of ways. In the process of finding the core experience we discarded most of the technologies we had explored. Writing the story and designing the experience can then continue whilst bearing in mind this toolbox of technologies. These can be tried in practice to get a feel for the experience and limitations, the materiality of the technology. We get around this chicken & egg problem by having an experimentation week where we create quick small prototypes using a selection of technologies that might be relevant. The story is dependant on the choice of technology, whilst the choice technology is dependant on the desired experience. A recurring problem in these types of projects is that getting started is difficult.
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