Trackmate LusidOSC – Interactive Table Interface
Ever since I first saw the ReacTable project a few years ago, I’ve been keeping tabs on it and where we are in the realm of new computer interfaces. I worked on trying to learn the open source protocol to build my own ReacTable and had delusions of grandeur to be the first one to break the device out in a more pop-music setting, with the intention of using it for audience interaction in the show. Fast forward to now, and a little-known artist named Bjork beat me to the punch, and another object-tracking interface called Trackmate has surfaced.
Trackmate seems to be much more user-friendly, as they even have an instructables page on how to build an interface, and Trackmate’s own “Tracker” software which uses the LusidOSC protocol to allow your computer to recognize the tagged obejects for free download. There are also several other creative and classy interfaces using the Trackmate initiative out there.
The ReacTable is hands down a more polished interface. The mounted projector gives some really beautiful animated visual feedback on the table itself, whereas the Trackmate system only detects the devices and shows you their status on your computer screen. A primary difference in the two is that Trackmate allows you to assign a tag to any object you want, and use it as an interface. The ReacTable has particular shapes that you can download (see the image above), and the software recognizes those shapes as each having a pre-assigned functionality.
When it comes down to it, if you’re looking at alternative interfaces, the best one for you is going to be the one that’s accessible and easy for you to wrap your head around. In that department, the Trackmate comes in ahead for it’s ease of use and much lower price point (about $40 in parts) to assemble.
You can get more info on Trackmate here.
Tweet
One Response to “Trackmate LusidOSC – Interactive Table Interface”
Leave a Reply
AH I want one.