Spaced Invaders

Via Gizmodo:  For a class project, computer-engineering college kids built a system that tracks body movements using a camera and a colored vest, mapping them to a Space Invaders-type game that requires you to jump to shoot.

You become the controller in the classic game, which is deliberately intended to promote cardiovascular health: There’s a sensor that tracks heart rate and sends it to the game component, where it, in theory, it could be used “to vary game speed and difficulty.” The only sad part about this is that the original game was intended to be Pong, which would’ve been potentially more of a two-player, and thus more dangerous, thing.

In spite of all this new interaction—and a respectable effort of of building and programming put forth by by the three dudes, Clarkson University juniors Allen, Doug and Matt—the object of the game is still quite simple. As you can hear someone tell the vested Allen in the (unintentionally?) hilarious video on Matt’s website, “We fixed it. Now don’t die.”

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To the left, to the left, to the right, to the right, now dip baby dip!

It’s the beginning of a new week and Kulture Klash 4 has come and passed. Kulture Klash this time around was a total blast. (Even if it did feel like a blur to me.) Our projections blew our minds away and more importantly blew the minds of all the people standing in line for beer and port-o-potties. I shouldn’t say it like that. In fact we had a huge number of people outside partying with us.

The numbers I really couldn’t say, but just taking a guess I’d say there was close to 800 at any given time. However, the best thing was everyone was getting down to the classics. Scruchyface Flatbroke took a commanding presence on the decks, and totally melted the crowds faces. It surprised me when he dropped William DeVaughn’s “Just Be Thankful For What You Got.” And the whole crowd was just grooving and grinding. Even though I was running video and fixing the technical stuff, (like plugging projectors back in after jerks unplugged them.) I got the crowd going with a side to side arm wave during Leon Haywood’s “I Wanna Do Something Freaky To You.” Which I think made both Scrunchyface Flatbroke and Birdflu get into the groove some more.

Speaking of that I forgot to mention Birdflu from the Bubbleguts Brothers was there with us cutting it up. If you ever get a chance you need to check him and his boy JectWon out. Strictly vinyl, crazy ass cutting, straight dope. It was great to have him up there to add his vinyl manipulation expertise. I’m sure you will see more of both crews preforming together in the near future.

I did not get a chance to check out much of the artwork. Okay, i didn’t get a chance to check out any of the artwork or see anything else that was going on besides what we were doing. But from what I have been reading and seeing, it looks like Kulture Klash 4 was a success.

Big thanks goes out to everyone who invited the Spaced Invaders out there, Gus, Scott, Ambergre, Suite Sole, (I heard we were getting paid in shoes this time around.) Big Hair and the rest of the Dub Island Crew, (Lord knows if it weren’t for you there would not have been any show at all.) To all the party goers that got down to the groove, especially to that kid who took a handful of stickers and said he’d put them up all over downtown.

All I can say is that it will take some work for the Spaced Invaders to out do themselves this time around. But hey we have already done that…just wait for the concert at the Customs House during Spoletto 09.

A good friend of the Spaced Invaders and a total turntable badass, JectWon drops some chilled out spring grooves for your next BBQ bash. The opening to the mix is killer! You will also hear a rare horn version of John Lennon’s “Imagine” and a few other treats as well. Expect to hear more from this cat in the future.

 

 DJ JectWon - The Pre-Emptive Spring BBQ Blend: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download