Looking at once visually plausible and conceptually impossible, the hacked automobiles in this art project visual expectations to make slightly-altered realities that boggle the brain.

José Quintela of Lisbon is a writer by trade but has been using Instagram’s layout application to collect and modify all shapes, sizes, makes and models of parked cars.

The vehicles themselves are so attention-grabbing, it takes a moment to notice the effect spills behind the borders of the bright cars themselves and into the surrounding built environment, subtly reshaping windows, walls and doors in likewise-improbable and humorous ways.

The post Tiny Cars Project: Mirroring Turns Parked Vehicles Surreal first appeared on Gajitz.

In addition to an array of other useful features, this futuristic mobility-aiding cane contains a camera and facial recognition software to help the visually impaired pick friendly faces out of the crowd.

The cane is a widely-recognized and frequently-used staple for those who cannot see well or at all, and thus an idea vessel to enhance with GPS and other computer-driven aids. The device is being designed by Waheed Rafiq, Steve Adigbo, and Richard Howlett, researchers at Birmingham City University in the United Kingdom, and still just a prototype at this point.

In terms of face-seeing software: the built-in camera takes continuous images, searches for faces, then scans them against a database tied to your social profiles or other uploaded images (you can also use the cane itself to take new photos for the database). When a match is found, the user is notified via bone-conduction earpiece designed to cut down on auditory distractions.

The long-term vision is a commercial version but that is still a ways off. The goal is also to include only what is necessary in the cane, perhaps primarily hardware, leaving the heavy lifting to modular software components or third-party devices already in hand (like mobile phones). Other smart canes are also in development, some being marketed for as little as $40, but with far fewer features.

The post Smart Cane for the Blind Recognizes Faces From 30 Feet first appeared on Gajitz.

The way the human brain processes visual data is really quite amazing. Our brains have at least three separate yet connected systems through which this visual information passes in a tiny fraction of a second before we understand what we’re seeing. But it’s not until our brain gets an unexpected visual message that things start to get interesting.

Designer Juste Kostikovaite has created an interesting object called EyeTeleporter that literally changes your perception of the world. It’s made of folded cardboard and two acrylic mirrors, and its purpose is to give your eyes and your brain unexpected information.

The EyeTeleporter is sort of like a low-cost periscope. A cardboard enclosure sits on your head and a rectangular extension then points either up or down; if it’s pointed up, you can even orient it to look behind you. The first mirror reflects the world around you and passes the image to the second mirror, which is what you see when you’re wearing the device.

Just like the name says, the device “teleports” your eyes to a different position, giving you a completely new – and quite disorienting – point of view. You can see from way high above your head or down low from belly level. If you put it on the highest setting and turn it backwards, everything appears backward and upside down. Just try walking around like that for more than a few seconds.

The project is seeking funding on Kickstarter to refine their designs (they’re also working on a ride-on scooter version). For £55 (about $86 US) you can get your very own EyeTeleporter mask from a limited run of just 50. For £155, thought, you can get an EyeTeleporter covered in faux fur, which is definitely the option we would suggest.

The post Point of View: Teleport Your Vision to a Whole New Level first appeared on Gajitz.

We’ve all had those conversations where we just can’t seem to get a word in no matter how hard we try or how many hints we drop. In certain settings, like counseling or mediation settings, it is imperative that every person involved gets his or her fair amount of speaking time so that all of their thoughts can be heard. The Expanded Discourse project from Zoe Padgett and Gerardo Guerrero takes an interesting approach to communication equality.

The project uses inflating suits to indicate when one party wishes to talk. The inflation represents the building up of ideas and sentiments, and the need to communicate those words to the other person. A small triangular object fits into one shoulder of the suit and acts as a “talking stick,” or an indication that the person who holds the object has the floor for the time being.

When one person wants to speak, they activate the suit’s interior fan to inflate the plastic skin. Inserting the triangular piece into the shoulder of the suit allows the suit to slowly deflate as the person speaks. This provides another visual indicator – this time, suggesting that the speaker is “getting it all out” and experiencing a release as his or her emotions are communicated to the other person.

The designers suggest that the suits could also be helpful in a business setting. If you’ve ever been in a business meeting where things got a little heated and people couldn’t resist the temptation to talk over one another, the value of these odd-but-effective inflatable sumo suits should be obvious.

Maybe the suits are a little silly, but the silliness can help break down communication barriers by putting everyone on a level playing field. Even those who are too timid to speak up and jump into the conversation can have a turn to speak because the suit gives a visual cue that is hard to ignore.

The post Inflatable Suits Facilitate Turn-Taking in Conversations first appeared on Gajitz.

Combining audio with extreme portability and visuals is something commonly done with synthesizers, but probably never this easily. As part of an event held at the Royal Academy in London called “Sensing Spaces,” it’s a multi-sensory feast.

The title for the device is ironic: ‘Contact.’ It would appear the user is strumming strings or hitting bongos, but when the lights go up, the impressive fact is that it can turn almost any hard surface into an arranger-style synth. The system of touch acoustics is driven by contact microphones, passive sonar and waveform analysis.

Created by visual artist Felix Faire, Contact’s audio is processed through software platforms Ableton Live and Max/MSP. After volume adjustments are plotted along an X/Y axis, with a few flicks of the wrist, electronic music tracks become audio-visual treats.

The post Making Contact: A+V System Creates Music On Any Surface first appeared on Gajitz.