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The Prix Ars Electronica Archive is a collection enabling search and viewing of all the submissions since 1987. The award-winning projects are documented with catalogue texts and audio-visual media. All other submissions can be searched by title/artist and displayed with year, category in list form. Please cite the credits (artwork name, artist and photographer) and only use the materials if your article is related to Ars Electronica.
Knot Reel
Kurt Fleischer,
Michael Kass,
Andrew Witkin
Original: PR_1987_knotreal_002_o.jpg | 811 * 614px | 592.8 KB
Original: PR_1987_knotreal_003_o.jpg | 791 * 621px | 591.7 KB
Technical Description
"Knot Reel" was made using the results of our research in computer graphics and computer vision. Beginning with a real image, visual analysis lets us automatically decompose the original texture into a straight grain pattern, a knot, and the deformation of the grain induced by the knot. Once the pattern is divided into its natural parts, it becomes easy to re-arrange it in a variety of fanciful and interesting ways-moving or removing the knot, adding additional ones, and so forth. The resulting objects, although synthetic, appear natural because they were constructed according to the rules we extracted from the original real object.
"Knot Reel" is composed of digitally synthesized images, with the exception of brief live video sequences at the beginning and end. The visual pattern analysis, modeling, and rendering were performed using inhouse software written in Zetalisp, running on a Symbolics 3670 computer. Video was generated using the Symbolics machine's internal frame buffer, and single-frame recorded in BetaCam on a Sony BVW-40 VCR, using a Lyon Lamb VAS IV animation controller.
("Knot Reel" is a play on words: "Knots" (branch) and "not real")
"Knot Reel" was made using the results of our research in computer graphics and computer vision. Beginning with a real image, visual analysis lets us automatically decompose the original texture into a straight grain pattern, a knot, and the deformation of the grain induced by the knot. Once the pattern is divided into its natural parts, it becomes easy to re-arrange it in a variety of fanciful and interesting ways-moving or removing the knot, adding additional ones, and so forth. The resulting objects, although synthetic, appear natural because they were constructed according to the rules we extracted from the original real object.
"Knot Reel" is composed of digitally synthesized images, with the exception of brief live video sequences at the beginning and end. The visual pattern analysis, modeling, and rendering were performed using inhouse software written in Zetalisp, running on a Symbolics 3670 computer. Video was generated using the Symbolics machine's internal frame buffer, and single-frame recorded in BetaCam on a Sony BVW-40 VCR, using a Lyon Lamb VAS IV animation controller.
("Knot Reel" is a play on words: "Knots" (branch) and "not real")
Andrew Witkin, Kurt Fleischer and Michael Kass. Born in America, they form a team of researchers and animators at
Schlumberger Palo Alto Research in California. Specialized in Computer vision and Computer graphics sectors.
Titles of the works submitted for Prix Ars Electronica 1987:
1 "Knot Reel", Computer animation, 1'30", Palo Alto/Cal. 1986
2 "Red Dress", Computer graphic, Palo Alto/Cal. 1987
Schlumberger Palo Alto Research in California. Specialized in Computer vision and Computer graphics sectors.
Titles of the works submitted for Prix Ars Electronica 1987:
1 "Knot Reel", Computer animation, 1'30", Palo Alto/Cal. 1986
2 "Red Dress", Computer graphic, Palo Alto/Cal. 1987