Ars Electronica Archive
Prix
Prix Map
Pictures
Videos
Publications
Special Projects
Women in Media Art
Prix
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.
ALIVE: Artificial Life Interactive Video Environment
Pattie Maes
The majority of virtual reality systems do not represent a very natural or engaging experience to the participant. The first problem is that they require the participant to be 'wired up' by means of goggles or gloves. The second problem is that they typically only allow the participant to engage in simple, straightforward interactions. Typically, a user can only navigate through the virtual space (thereby changing what he/she perceives), and sometimes the participant can also perform some simple manipulations on virtual objects.
The goal of the 'ALIVE' system was to provide a very different kind of experience. Inspired by the work of pioneer Myron Krueger, we wanted a participant to be able to interact with a virtual environment in a much more natural, unencumbered way, using familiar gestures that do not require any obtrusive equipment. In addition, we wanted the user to be able to do more than just navigate through the environment or manipulate simple objects. We wanted to demonstrate that in order for a virtual environment to be very engaging, it might not be so important how fancy and fast the graphics are, but rather how meaningful and interesting the interactions can be.
Technical Background
HW: SGI Indigo 2
SW: C++, Inventor
The goal of the 'ALIVE' system was to provide a very different kind of experience. Inspired by the work of pioneer Myron Krueger, we wanted a participant to be able to interact with a virtual environment in a much more natural, unencumbered way, using familiar gestures that do not require any obtrusive equipment. In addition, we wanted the user to be able to do more than just navigate through the environment or manipulate simple objects. We wanted to demonstrate that in order for a virtual environment to be very engaging, it might not be so important how fancy and fast the graphics are, but rather how meaningful and interesting the interactions can be.
Technical Background
HW: SGI Indigo 2
SW: C++, Inventor
Patti Maes (USA), Assistant Professor at MIT Media-Laboratory since 1991. Pb.D. in Artificial Intelligence from tbe University of Brussels, Belgium in 1987. Autbor of several publications, including “Meta-Level Architectures and Reflection” and “Designing Autonomous Agents”.