Aron Petau - studio d+cZola2023-07-27T00:00:00+00:00https://aron.petau.net/tags/studio-d-c/atom.xmlLusatia - an immersion in (De)Fences2023-07-27T00:00:00+00:002023-07-27T00:00:00+00:00
Aron Petau
https://aron.petau.net/project/lusatia/<iframe
class="youtube-embed"
src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/kx6amt2jY7U"
allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share"
referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen>
</iframe>
<p>On an Excursion to Lusatia, a project with the Working Title (De)Fences was born.
Here are the current materials.</p>
<iframe width="100%" height="1024" frameborder="0" allow="xr-spatial-tracking; gyroscope; accelerometer" allowfullscreen scrolling="no" src="https://kuula.co/share/collection/7F22J?logo=1&info=1&fs=1&vr=0&zoom=1&autop=5&autopalt=1&thumbs=3&alpha=0.60"></iframe>
<h2 id="Interactive_Unity_Experience">Interactive Unity Experience</h2>
<p>Explore the (De)Fences project in this interactive 3D environment. Use WASD to move and mouse to
look around.</p>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<button id="muteBtn" onclick="toggleMute()" style="padding: 8px 16px; background: #333; color: white; border: none; border-radius: 4px; cursor: pointer;">
🔊 Mute
</button>
</div>
<iframe
id="unityFrame"
src="/webgl/lusatia/index.html"
width="100%"
height="650"
frameborder="0"
allowfullscreen
style="border: 1px solid #ccc; border-radius: 4px;">
</iframe>
<script>
let isMuted = false;
function toggleMute() {
const btn = document.getElementById('muteBtn');
const frame = document.getElementById('unityFrame');
// Send message to Unity (requires Unity listener setup)
if (frame.contentWindow) {
frame.contentWindow.postMessage({type: 'toggleMute', muted: !isMuted}, '*');
}
// Update button
isMuted = !isMuted;
btn.innerHTML = isMuted ? '🔇 Unmute' : '🔊 Mute';
}
</script>
<p><strong>Controls:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><strong>WASD</strong> or <strong>Arrow Keys</strong> - Move around</li>
<li><strong>Mouse</strong> - Look around</li>
<li><strong>F</strong> - Toggle fullscreen</li>
</ul>
Autoimmunitaet2023-06-20T00:00:00+00:002023-06-20T00:00:00+00:00
Aron Petau
Milli Keil
Marla Gaiser
https://aron.petau.net/project/autoimmunitaet/<h2 id="How_do_we_design_our_Commute?">How do we design our Commute?</h2>
<p>In the context of the Design and Computation Studio Course <a rel="external" href="https://millikeil.eu">Milli Keil</a>, <a rel="external" href="https://marlagaiser.de">Marla Gaiser</a> and me developed a concept for a playful critique of the traffic decisions we take and the idols we embrace.<br />
It should open up questions of whether the generations to come should still grow up playing on traffic carpets that are mostly grey and whether the <a rel="external" href="https://letztegeneration.org">Letzte Generation</a>, a political climate activist group in Germany receives enough recognition for their acts.</p>
<p>A call for solidarity.</p>
<p><img src="/assets/images/autoimmunitaet/autoimmunitaet-2.jpg" alt="The action figures" /></p>
<h2 id="The_scan_results">The scan results</h2>
<div class="sketchfab-embed-wrapper"> <iframe title="Autoimmunitaet: Letzte Generation Actionfigure" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen="true" webkitallowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; fullscreen; xr-spatial-tracking" xr-spatial-tracking execution-while-out-of-viewport execution-while-not-rendered web-share width="800" height="600" src="https://sketchfab.com/models/3916ba600ef540d0a874506bf61726f2/embed?ui_hint=0&ui_theme=dark&dnt=1"> </iframe> </div>
<h2 id="The_Action_Figure,_ready_for_printing">The Action Figure, ready for printing</h2>
<div class="sketchfab-embed-wrapper"> <iframe title="Autoimmunitaet: Letzte Generation Action Figure" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen="true" webkitallowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; fullscreen; xr-spatial-tracking" xr-spatial-tracking execution-while-out-of-viewport execution-while-not-rendered web-share width="800" height="600" src="https://sketchfab.com/models/deec1b2899af424c91f85cbf35952375/embed?ui_theme=dark&dnt=1"> </iframe> </div>
<h2 id="Autoimmunitaet">Autoimmunitaet</h2>
<p>Autoimmunity is a term for defects, that are produced by a dysfunctional self-tolerance of a system.<br />
This dysfunction causes the immune system to stop accepting certain parts of itself and build antibodies instead.<br />
An invitation for a speculative playful interaction.</p>
<div id="image-gallery">
<ul class="gallery">
<li class="gallery-item">
<a href="https://aron.petau.net/project/autoimmunitaet/autoimmunitaet-1.jpg" class="lightbox" target="_blank">
<img src="https://aron.petau.net/project/autoimmunitaet/autoimmunitaet-1.jpg" alt="Our action figures in action">
</a>
<p class="caption">Action figures in an urban setting</p>
</li>
<li class="gallery-item">
<a href="https://aron.petau.net/project/autoimmunitaet/autoimmunitaet-3.jpg" class="lightbox" target="_blank">
<img src="https://aron.petau.net/project/autoimmunitaet/autoimmunitaet-3.jpg" alt="Our action figures in action">
</a>
<p class="caption">Action figures demonstrating protest scenes</p>
</li>
<li class="gallery-item">
<a href="https://aron.petau.net/project/autoimmunitaet/autoimmunitaet-5.jpg" class="lightbox" target="_blank">
<img src="https://aron.petau.net/project/autoimmunitaet/autoimmunitaet-5.jpg" alt="Our action figures in action">
</a>
<p class="caption">Detailed view of the protest action figures</p>
</li>
<li class="gallery-item">
<a href="https://aron.petau.net/project/autoimmunitaet/autoimmunitaet-6.jpg" class="lightbox" target="_blank">
<img src="https://aron.petau.net/project/autoimmunitaet/autoimmunitaet-6.jpg" alt="Our action figures in action">
</a>
<p class="caption">Action figures interacting with urban elements</p>
</li>
<li class="gallery-item">
<a href="https://aron.petau.net/project/autoimmunitaet/autoimmunitaet-7.jpg" class="lightbox" target="_blank">
<img src="https://aron.petau.net/project/autoimmunitaet/autoimmunitaet-7.jpg" alt="Our action figures in action">
</a>
<p class="caption">Close-up of the action figure details</p>
</li>
<li class="gallery-item">
<a href="https://aron.petau.net/project/autoimmunitaet/autoimmunitaet-8.jpg" class="lightbox" target="_blank">
<img src="https://aron.petau.net/project/autoimmunitaet/autoimmunitaet-8.jpg" alt="Our action figures in action">
</a>
<p class="caption">Action figures in a protest scenario</p>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h2 id="The_Process">The Process</h2>
<p>The figurines are 3D Scans of ourselves, in various typical poses of the Letzte Generation.<br />
We used photogrammetry to create the scans, which is a technique that uses a lot of photos of an object to create a 3D model of it.<br />
We used the app <a rel="external" href="https://polycam.ai">Polycam</a> to create the scans using IPads and their inbuilt Lidar scanners.</p>
Dreams of Cars2023-06-20T00:00:00+00:002023-06-20T00:00:00+00:00
Aron Petau
https://aron.petau.net/project/dreams-of-cars/<h2 id="Photography">Photography</h2>
<p>In the context of the course "Fotografie Elementar" with Sebastian Herold I developed a small concept of urban intervention.<br />
The results were exhibited at the UdK Rundgang 2023 and are also visible here.</p>
<p><img src="https://aron.petau.net/project/dreams-of-cars/suv_door-1.jpg" alt="The gallery piece" /></p>
<h2 id="Dreams_of_Cars">Dreams of Cars</h2>
<blockquote>
<p>These are not just cars.<br />
They are Sport Utility Vehicles.<br />
What might they have had as hopes and dreams on the production line?<br />
Do they dream of drifting in dusty deserts?<br />
Climbing steep rocky canyon roads?<br />
Sliding down sun-drenched dunes?<br />
Discovering remote pathways in natural grasslands?<br />
Nevertheless, they did end up in the parking spots here in Berlin.</p>
<p>What drove them here?</p>
</blockquote>
<div id="image-gallery">
<ul class="gallery">
<li class="gallery-item">
<a href="https://aron.petau.net/project/dreams-of-cars/Dreams_of_Cars-1.jpg" class="lightbox" target="_blank">
<img src="https://aron.petau.net/project/dreams-of-cars/Dreams_of_Cars-1.jpg" alt="Dreams of Cars">
</a>
<p class="caption">SUV dreaming of desert adventures</p>
</li>
<li class="gallery-item">
<a href="https://aron.petau.net/project/dreams-of-cars/Dreams_of_Cars-2.jpg" class="lightbox" target="_blank">
<img src="https://aron.petau.net/project/dreams-of-cars/Dreams_of_Cars-2.jpg" alt="Dreams of Cars">
</a>
<p class="caption">SUV imagining mountain trails</p>
</li>
<li class="gallery-item">
<a href="https://aron.petau.net/project/dreams-of-cars/Dreams_of_Cars-3.jpg" class="lightbox" target="_blank">
<img src="https://aron.petau.net/project/dreams-of-cars/Dreams_of_Cars-3.jpg" alt="Dreams of Cars">
</a>
<p class="caption">SUV yearning for off-road exploration</p>
</li>
<li class="gallery-item">
<a href="https://aron.petau.net/project/dreams-of-cars/Dreams_of_Cars-4.jpg" class="lightbox" target="_blank">
<img src="https://aron.petau.net/project/dreams-of-cars/Dreams_of_Cars-4.jpg" alt="Dreams of Cars">
</a>
<p class="caption">SUV fantasizing about wild terrain</p>
</li>
<li class="gallery-item">
<a href="https://aron.petau.net/project/dreams-of-cars/Dreams_of_Cars-5.jpg" class="lightbox" target="_blank">
<img src="https://aron.petau.net/project/dreams-of-cars/Dreams_of_Cars-5.jpg" alt="Dreams of Cars">
</a>
<p class="caption">SUV longing for untamed landscapes</p>
</li>
<li class="gallery-item">
<a href="https://aron.petau.net/project/dreams-of-cars/Dreams_of_Cars-6.jpg" class="lightbox" target="_blank">
<img src="https://aron.petau.net/project/dreams-of-cars/Dreams_of_Cars-6.jpg" alt="Dreams of Cars">
</a>
<p class="caption">SUV dreaming of natural vistas</p>
</li>
<li class="gallery-item">
<a href="https://aron.petau.net/project/dreams-of-cars/Dreams_of_Cars-7.jpg" class="lightbox" target="_blank">
<img src="https://aron.petau.net/project/dreams-of-cars/Dreams_of_Cars-7.jpg" alt="Dreams of Cars">
</a>
<p class="caption">SUV wishing for wilderness adventures</p>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
Stable Dreamfusion2023-06-20T00:00:00+00:002023-06-20T00:00:00+00:00
Aron Petau
https://aron.petau.net/project/stable-dreamfusion/<h2 id="Stable_Dreamfusion">Stable Dreamfusion</h2>
<div class="sketchfab-embed-wrapper"> <iframe title="Stable-Dreamfusion Pig" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen="true" webkitallowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; fullscreen; xr-spatial-tracking" xr-spatial-tracking execution-while-out-of-viewport execution-while-not-rendered web-share width="800" height="600" src="https://sketchfab.com/models/0af6d95988e44c73a693c45e1db44cad/embed?ui_theme=dark&dnt=1"> </iframe> </div>
<h2 id="Sources">Sources</h2>
<p>I forked a popular implementation that reverse-engineered the Google Dreamfusion algorithm. This algorithm is closed-source and not publicly available.
You can find my forked implementation <a rel="external" href="https://github.com/arontaupe/stable-dreamfusion">on my GitHub repository</a>.
This version runs on Stable Diffusion as its base process, which means we can expect results that might not match Google's quality.
The <a rel="external" href="https://dreamfusion3d.github.io">original DreamFusion paper and implementation</a> provides more details about the technique.</p>
<iframe
class="youtube-embed"
src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/shW_Jh728yg"
allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share"
referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen>
</iframe>
<h2 id="Gradio">Gradio</h2>
<p>I forked the code to implement my own Gradio interface for the algorithm. Gradio is a great tool for quickly building interfaces for machine learning models. No coding is required for the end user - they can simply state their wish, and the system will generate a ready-to-be-rigged 3D model (OBJ file).</p>
<h2 id="Mixamo">Mixamo</h2>
<p>I used Mixamo to rig the model. It's a powerful tool for rigging and animating models, but its main strength is simplicity. As long as you have a model with a reasonable humanoid shape in a T-pose, you can rig it in seconds. That's exactly what I did here.</p>
<h2 id="Unity">Unity</h2>
<p>I used Unity to render the model for the Magic Leap 1 headset.
This allowed me to create an interactive and immersive environment with the generated models.</p>
<p>The vision was to build an AI Chamber of Wishes:
You put on the AR glasses, state your desires, and the algorithm presents you with an almost-real object in augmented reality.</p>
<p>Due to not having access to Google's proprietary source code and the limitations of our studio computers (which, while powerful, aren't quite optimized for machine learning), the results weren't as refined as I had hoped.
Nevertheless, the results are fascinating, and I'm satisfied with the outcome.
A single object generation in the environment takes approximately 20 minutes.
The algorithm can be quite temperamental - it often struggles to generate coherent objects, but when it succeeds, the results are quite impressive.</p>
Auraglow2023-03-01T00:00:00+00:002023-03-01T00:00:00+00:00
Aron Petau
Sebastian Paintner
Milli Keil
https://aron.petau.net/project/auraglow/<p><img src="https://aron.petau.net/project/auraglow/cage_closeup_2.jpeg" alt="The AR set that we used" /></p>
<p>What makes a room?<br />
How do moods and atmospheres emerge?<br />
Can we visualize them to make the experiences visible?</p>
<p>The project "The Nature of Objects" aims to expand (augment) perception by making the moods of places tangible through the respective auras of the objects in the space.<br />
What makes objects subjects?<br />
How can we make the implicit explicit?<br />
And how can we make the character of a place visible?\</p>
<p>Here, we question the conservative, purely physical concept of space and address in the project a temporal, historical component of space, its objects, and their past.
Space will have transformed: from a simple "object on which interest, thought, action is directed" (definition object Duden), to a "creature that is endowed with consciousness, thinking, sensing, acting" (definition subject Duden).
This metamorphosis of subject formation on objects enables the space to undergo changes influenced, or, more precisely a shaping, reshaping, deformation -such that the space can finally be perceived differently and multiangular.</p>
<div class="buttons centered">
<a class="big colored external" href="https://github.com/arontaupe/auraglow">See the Project on GitHub</a>
</div>
Ruminations2023-03-01T00:00:00+00:002023-03-01T00:00:00+00:00
Aron Petau
Niels Gercama
https://aron.petau.net/project/ruminations/<h2 id="Ruminations">Ruminations</h2>
<p>This project explores data privacy in the context of Amazon's ecosystem, questioning how we might subvert browser fingerprinting and challenge pervasive consumer tracking.</p>
<p>We began with a provocative question: Could we degrade the value of collected data not by avoiding tracking, but by actively engaging with it? Rather than trying to hide from surveillance, could we overwhelm it with meaningful yet unpredictable patterns?</p>
<p>Initially, we considered implementing a random clickbot to introduce noise into the data collection. However, given the sophistication of modern data cleanup algorithms and the sheer volume of data Amazon processes, such an approach would have been ineffective. They would simply filter out the random noise and continue their analysis.</p>
<p>This led us to a more interesting question: How can we create coherent, non-random data that remains fundamentally unpredictable? Our solution was to introduce patterns that exist beyond the predictive capabilities of current algorithms – similar to trying to predict the behavior of someone whose thought patterns follow their own unique logic.</p>
<h2 id="The_Concept">The Concept</h2>
<p>We developed a Chrome browser extension that overlays Amazon's web pages with a dynamic entity tracking user behavior. The system employs an image classifier algorithm to analyze the storefront and formulate product queries. After processing, it presents a "perfectly matched" product – a subtle commentary on algorithmic product recommendations.</p>
<h2 id="The_Analog_Watchdog">The Analog Watchdog</h2>
<p>The project's physical component consists of a low-tech installation using a smartphone camera running computer vision algorithms to track minute movements. We positioned this camera to monitor the browser console of a laptop running our extension. The camera feed is displayed on a screen, and the system generates robotic sounds based on the type and volume of detected movement. In practice, it serves as an audible alert system for data exchanges between Amazon and the browser.</p>
<h2 id="Implementation">Implementation</h2>
<div id="image-gallery">
<ul class="gallery">
<li class="gallery-item">
<a href="https://aron.petau.net/project/ruminations/ruminations1.jpeg" class="lightbox" target="_blank">
<img src="https://aron.petau.net/project/ruminations/ruminations1.jpeg" alt="Project installation view showing the browser extension in action">
</a>
<p class="caption">The Ruminations installation in operation</p>
</li>
<li class="gallery-item">
<a href="https://aron.petau.net/project/ruminations/ruminations2.jpeg" class="lightbox" target="_blank">
<img src="https://aron.petau.net/project/ruminations/ruminations2.jpeg" alt="Close-up of the tracking interface and data visualization">
</a>
<p class="caption">Real-time tracking visualization</p>
</li>
<li class="gallery-item">
<a href="https://aron.petau.net/project/ruminations/ruminations3.jpeg" class="lightbox" target="_blank">
<img src="https://aron.petau.net/project/ruminations/ruminations3.jpeg" alt="The analog watchdog setup with camera and display">
</a>
<p class="caption">The analog watchdog monitoring system</p>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h2 id="Try_It_Yourself">Try It Yourself</h2>
<p>Want to explore or contribute to the project? Check out our code repository:</p>
<div class="buttons centered">
<a class="big colored external" href="https://github.com/arontaupe/ruminations">View Project on GitHub</a>
</div>
Lampshades2022-12-04T00:00:00+00:002022-12-04T00:00:00+00:00
Aron Petau
https://aron.petau.net/project/lampshades/<h2 id="Lampshades">Lampshades</h2>
<p>In 2022, I was introduced to some of the most powerful tools used by architects.
One of them was Rhino, a professional 3D modeling software widely used in architectural design.
Initially, I struggled with it - its interface felt dated and unintuitive, reminiscent of 1980s software design.
However, it has a robust plugin ecosystem, and one plugin in particular changed everything: Grasshopper, a visual programming language for creating parametric models.
Grasshopper is remarkably powerful, functioning as a full-fledged programming environment, while remaining intuitive and accessible. Its node-based workflow is similar to modern systems now appearing in Unreal Engine and Blender.
The only downside is that Grasshopper isn't standalone - it requires Rhino for both running and executing many modeling operations.</p>
<p>The combination of Rhino and Grasshopper transformed my perspective, and I began to appreciate the sophisticated modeling process.
I developed a parametric lampshade design that I'm particularly proud of - one that can be instantly modified to create endless variations.</p>
<p>3D printing the designs proved straightforward - using white filament in vase mode produced these elegant results:</p>
<div id="image-gallery">
<ul class="gallery">
<li class="gallery-item">
<a href="https://aron.petau.net/project/lampshades/lampshade1.png" class="lightbox" target="_blank">
<img src="https://aron.petau.net/project/lampshades/lampshade1.png" alt="Parametric Rhino/Grasshopper lampshade 1">
</a>
<p class="caption">A parametric lampshade made with Rhino and Grasshopper</p>
</li>
<li class="gallery-item">
<a href="https://aron.petau.net/project/lampshades/lampshade2.png" class="lightbox" target="_blank">
<img src="https://aron.petau.net/project/lampshades/lampshade2.png" alt="Parametric Rhino/Grasshopper lampshade 2">
</a>
<p class="caption">A parametric lampshade made with Rhino and Grasshopper</p>
</li>
<li class="gallery-item">
<a href="https://aron.petau.net/project/lampshades/lampshade3.png" class="lightbox" target="_blank">
<img src="https://aron.petau.net/project/lampshades/lampshade3.png" alt="Parametric Rhino/Grasshopper lampshade 3">
</a>
<p class="caption">A parametric lampshade made with Rhino and Grasshopper</p>
</li>
<li class="gallery-item">
<a href="https://aron.petau.net/project/lampshades/lampshade4.png" class="lightbox" target="_blank">
<img src="https://aron.petau.net/project/lampshades/lampshade4.png" alt="Parametric Rhino/Grasshopper lampshade 4">
</a>
<p class="caption">A parametric lampshade made with Rhino and Grasshopper</p>
</li>
<li class="gallery-item">
<a href="https://aron.petau.net/project/lampshades/lampshade5.jpeg" class="lightbox" target="_blank">
<img src="https://aron.petau.net/project/lampshades/lampshade5.jpeg" alt="Parametric Rhino/Grasshopper lampshade 5">
</a>
<p class="caption">A parametric lampshade made with Rhino and Grasshopper</p>
</li>
<li class="gallery-item">
<a href="https://aron.petau.net/project/lampshades/gh_lampshade_flow.png" class="lightbox" target="_blank">
<img src="https://aron.petau.net/project/lampshades/gh_lampshade_flow.png" alt="Grasshopper graph generating a parametric lampshade">
</a>
<p class="caption">The Grasshopper flow for the lampshade</p>
</li>
<li class="gallery-item">
<a href="https://aron.petau.net/project/lampshades/grasshopper_lampshade_flow.png" class="lightbox" target="_blank">
<img src="https://aron.petau.net/project/lampshades/grasshopper_lampshade_flow.png" alt="Another view of the Grasshopper script">
</a>
<p class="caption">The Grasshopper flow for the lampshade</p>
</li>
<li class="gallery-item">
<a href="https://aron.petau.net/project/lampshades/result_rhino.png" class="lightbox" target="_blank">
<img src="https://aron.petau.net/project/lampshades/result_rhino.png" alt="Rendered lampshade inside Rhino 3D">
</a>
<p class="caption">The resulting lampshade in Rhino</p>
</li>
</ul>
</div>