GMU:Computing with Thread: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 19:14, 8 March 2016

Quipu knotting instructios (1923)

Tin Can Telephone (1882)

Computing with Thread / Textiles Prozessieren

Werkmodul/Fachmodul
Lecturer: Martin Schneider
Credits: 6 ECTS, 4 SWS
Date: Thursday / Donnerstag 13:30 - 16:45
Venue: Performance Plattform, Digital Bauhaus Lab
First meeting: 14. April, 2016 um 13:30 Uhr

 Note:
 Application is now open, see below for details.

Beschreibung

Der Kurs Computing with Thread befasst sich mit Themen der Codierung, Berechnung und Kommunikation. Allerdings auf Basis textiler Fäden und Strippen, im Gegensatz zu den verbreiteten Digitalrechnern auf Siliziumbasis. Moore's Gesetz der exponentiellen Zunahme von Rechenleistung und Speichergröße wird dabei bewusst gebrochen, um mit Slow Computing und Small data alternative kulturelle Praktiken des Rechnens, Speicherns und Kommunizierens zu erforschen und zu erproben. Konterfaktische Szenarien stehen dabei ebenso im Vordergrund wie praktische Realisierungen im Sinne des Unconventional computing.

Zunächst gilt im Rahmen der textilen Kodierung, Methoden der Codierungs-Theorie auf das textile Medium anzuwenden und verschiedene textile Techniken auf ihr Potential als Speichermedium hin zu untersuchen. Dabei werden historischen Verfahren wie Quipu ebenso untersucht, wie aktuelle technische und künstlerische Projekte. Ein weiterer Schwerpunkt ist das textile Interface. Hier wird der Einsatz von Seilen und Strippen als Mensch-Maschine-Schnittstelle untersucht. Fallstricke, Flaschenzüge und Zündschnüre bilden dabei den Augangspunkt für textile Schittstellen im Kontext siliziumbasierter Computer.

Auch das Potentiall von Fäden zur Datenübertragung wird untersucht, sei es durch Schwingung, durch Übertragung von Elektronen oder von Flüssigkeit. Ziel des Kurses ist es, die materiellen Eigenschaften von Fäden kreativ mit Ihrem Einsatz als Kommunikations-Mittel, Speicher- und Recheneinheiten zuverbinden, und dabei zu einem praktischen und kritischen Verständis digitaler Technologien zu gelangen.

Description

Computing with Thread is all about code, calculation and communication. However it's all based on threads, unlike the more commonly used computers based on silicium. We are going to willfully break Moore's law, using Slow Computing and Small data to explore alternative practices of computing, storage and communication. We will explore counterfactual scenarios as well as practical realizations of Unconventional computing.

Coding theory will be applied to the textile medium, covering historic examples such as Quipu, as well as more recent art and technology projects. We will also focus on threads as man-machine interfaces, using snares, pulleys and fuses as a starting point. We will also explore the potential of thread as a communication medium, be it via the transmission of vibrations, electrons, or liquids.

The goal of this course is to creatively make use of the material properties of thread, while developing a critical and hands-on understanding of digital technology.

Language

The course will be in English, unless all participants are speaking German.

Eligible Participants

Undergraduates and graduates enrolled in the faculties of:

Media
Art and Design
Architecture and Urbanism

Application

 Application deadline for this course is April 8th, 2016.

To: Martin Schneider
Subject: Computing with Thread /// Application
Content:

Name, Surname
program and semester (Studienprogramm und Fachsemester)
matriculation number (Matrikelnummer)
Valid email address @uni-weimar.de

Previous sculptural, textile or interactive work you did (please provide links)
Create a graphical sketch of how you would imagine a thread based computer

Syllabus

to be announced

Evaluation

20% presence and active participation
50% Artistic work in the domain of computational textiles
30% Documentation (10% contribution to the Media-Wiki)

Literature

Birgit Schneider: Textiles Prozessieren ISBN 978-3037340073
Leslie Leland Locke: The Ancient Quipu, a Peruvian Knot Record

Links

Textile Computation

A Computational Model of Knitting by Martin Schneider
Kairotic The Weaving codes - Coding Weaves project
Crafted Logic by Ebru Kurbak and Irene Posch
Tanglebots a Workshop about failed Weaving by Dave Griffith

Material Computation

Rechnender Raum by Ralf Baecker
Memory Machines by Ralf Baecker

Computational Craft

DOTI the Desktop-Loom by Pamela Liou
Open Tools for Computational Craft by Martin Schneider
Luminiscence by Andrew Glassner (online weft editor)
Pixel Quipu by Dave Griffith
Flora Robotica Swarm Weaving
Textilica Course

Pulleys and Machines

Signalling

Schnurtelefon (de)
Tin can telephone

@@ Line 83: / Line 83: @@
 * [http://www.stitchingworlds.net/speculation/crafted-logic/ Crafted Logic] by Ebru Kurbak and Irene Posch
 * [http://fo.am/tanglebots/ Tanglebots] a Workshop about failed Weaving by Dave Griffith
 === Material Computation ===
 * [http://www.rlfbckr.org/work/rechnender_raum Rechnender Raum] by Ralf Baecker
 * [https://www.flickr.com/photos/rlfbckr/sets/72157649747923102 Memory Machines] by Ralf Baecker
 === Computational Craft ===
 * [http://pamelaliou.com/doti.html DOTI] the Desktop-Loom by Pamela Liou
@@ Line 95: / Line 93: @@
 * [https://vimeo.com/album/3692903 Flora Robotica] Swarm Weaving
 * [[GMU:Principia Textilica Principia|Textilica Course]]
 === Paper Computation ===
 * [http://wiki.franklinheath.co.uk/index.php/Enigma/Paper_Enigma Paper Enigma]
 * [http://www.niklasroy.com/project/149/cardboard_plotter Cardboard Plotter] by Roy Robotics
 * [http://documents.epfl.ch/groups/p/pa/papercomp/www/proceedings_papercomp_2010.pdf Papercomp 2010 Proceedings] (mostly augmented reality)
 === Code Crafting ===
 * [https://github.com/bitcraftlab/Principia-Textilica-Course/tree/master/tools/code-crafting Code Crafting] from [[GMU:Principia Textilica]]