One fundamental difference between human and computer is that computer cannot easily distinguish between objects. They only recognize sources as pixels and algorithms have to be implemented to distinguish a specific object. What impressed me most in the reading is Myron Krueger’s Videoplay. The system he built has a diverse enough reaction bank that users can play with. Based on the movement of the participants, the computer generates visual cues accordingly to that input. Based on the participants’ actions, the computer generates visual cues accordingly. I think the ability to respond flexibly gives the system an impression of intellectual thinking, rather than just following rigid algorithms. I also noticed how Krueger interpreted physical interaction in human-computer interaction. For example, squeezing a virtual character on the screen causes it to pop and disappear (4:12), making the interaction between human and computer feel more realistic and reducing the sense of untouchability of objects on the screen.
Other techniques that I find interesting to be used in interactive design are detecting presence and simple interactions described by Jonah Warren. Because the way computer is used in daily life is mostly rigid and only tailored to specific needs, tweaking computer’s reaction based on the aforementioned input can create an interesting art media. For example, the Cheese Installation by Christian Möller is a unique way of interpreting computer data. Normally, we would not perceive the intensity of a smile in specific percentage. However, the way the machine interprets how we smile and return it into visual cue create a creative material for artwork. As such, a simple footage of smiling can be turned into a scrutiny of someone’s emotions.