Digital Pen for Digital Memory Art?
Posted by bryce
Today, I switched back to using my MacBook Pro after dealing (suffering) with a white MacBook for about 9 months. I could complain about that thing for ages... but to the point. I've been re-installing software, and am currently working on the desktop app for my LiveScribe Smartpen.
In short, the liveScribe allows you to write and record audio simultaneously, and then time syncs the two together, digitizes them, and makes them into a .pdf. If you're a researcher, anthropologist, journalist, or like to experiment with new modes of journalling, this thing is great.
BUT- (and this is why I'm blogging this)- what if we were to use the pen for creating new types of memory tours. Here's the rough sketch: We go around the city, asking people to use the pen to create 'Graffiti' inspired by the area- it can be pictures, words, tags, etc.. Using a smartphone, we could geotag the spaces where we were drawing from, etc. Using something like Layer, we could then upload the pencast, have the drawing come across the wall that was 'targeted' with the drawing, with audio coming out about why, who, what, when, etc. this drawing was taking place. I'd love to do it with the incredibly interesting immigrant communities in Eugene, so as to understand how they see the landscape, but you could potentially use it with professional artists, philosophers, etc. to make some really interesting tours of various spaces.
Let me know if anyone tries this kind of thing out!
