SATnet is a network for science, arts and technology transfer and innovation based in the Faculty of Art & Design at Swansea Metropolitan University. The project promotes interdisciplinary collaboration between the usually distinct disciplines of fine, conceptual and applied arts, traditional and emerging technologies, and the physical and biological sciences and engineering. Knowledge transfer is facilitated between and across science, technology, the creative industry sector and small to medium enterprises, together with practicing artists, academics and Welsh Higher Education Institutions. It provides a forum for creative exchange and promotes ingenuity through innovation from research to production.

The network was funded and supported by the Welsh Assembly Knowledge Exploitation Fund (KEF) and the Welsh Assembly Knowledge Exchange Project (KEP) between 2008-2011 but is now archived.

Design firm win prestigious award for pioneering invention

Innovative Cardiff-based design firm FauvelKhan has won a prestigious award at the annual SXSW (South by South West) Accelerator Competition in Texas for their interactive AiR Guitar T-shirt.
The firm picked up the ‘bootstrap’ award for the greatest achievement with the least amount of money, gaining world recognition alongside software from several major Silicone Valley businesses.

Developed in association with South Wales rock band The Last Republic, the T-Shirt uses a pioneering music technology which allows fans to play along with their favourite band online using just a computer and webcam.
“The AiR Guitar doesn’t just provide an authentic experience for music fans,” said company Director Warren Fauvel. “It’s also an important promotional tool for bands, enabling musicians to analyse the impact of their physical goods and interact with fans online.”
The product uses the fast growing technology called Augmented Reality, which allows a computer to read physical gestures and objects in the real-time. When the Air Guitar T-shirt is worn, it can be recognised by a user’s webcam, allowing them to ‘strum’ to music and simulate playing a guitar.
FauvelKhan was set up by Warren Fauvel and Luke Khan in 2007 and is quickly earning international recognition for ground-breaking concepts and projects, having recently won innovation awards in both Geneva and Kuwait. The firm battled over 400 technology businesses to be reach the final of SXSW Accelerator and presented as the only contestant from the UK in their category.
Warren Fauvel said: “All of the team here are really proud that we were able to represent Wales and the UK in our section of the competition and I’m delighted that I was able to do us justice by bringing an award home in the face of such strong competition!”
"This year’s competition, judged by industry titans Chris Hughes and Craig Newmark, attracted a large number of strong presenters across categories,” said Chris Valentine, Microsoft BizSpark Accelerator at SXSW Coordinator. “The Accelerator community of industry influencers and investors congratulates the 2011 Accelerator winners.”
FauvelKhan are continuing development of the T-shirt with several updates planned over the next year, including some new instrument variations.
Fancy having a play? The AiR Guitar T-Shirt is available to try out here: Play Air Guitar <http://playairguitar.com/>

Think Tank Number One

Successful event held in ciric for SATnet.

Creative Industries

Companies that joined us for the event are:

Allihopa

Freshwest

Lasers are us

SMF Engineering Ltd

Academics joined us:

Warren Fauvel

Gavin Kirby

Chris Thomas

Pollinator Frocks Project © Karen Ingham 2010

Populations of insect pollinators such as bees, butterflies and moths and the plants on which they depend, are declining at alarming rates due to deleterious human activity. These symbiotic relationships must be protected. Through interdisciplinary collaboration with entomologists, botanists, biochemists, surface pattern designers and engineering technologists, I am creating a prototype range of clothing that will, through site-specific artistic intervention, raise greater awareness of these important issues. The Pollinator Frocks Project is a limited edition ‘collection’ of clothing that will be based on scanning electron microscopy images of plant pollen grains linked to endangered pollinators. These digitally enhanced images form the basis for a range of striking and unusual printed fabrics. The fabrics will be treated with pollinator food sources that replicate nectar, which will be specially coated onto the fabric prior to cut and assemble as ‘pollinator frocks’ (loose fitting unisex clothing). There will be ‘day-wear’ for insects such as bees and butterflies and ‘evening-wear’ for moths. In the urban environment where garden space is limited and nectar rich plants rare, the clothing could be ‘hung out’ as clothes are hung on a washing line, to act as an attractant to pollinators. The food source coating will be specially engineered to wash out in a 30° wash after depletion so the garment can be worn as normal. As part of the public engagement Stage One phase, human-scale cloth sculptures will be made from the treated fabrics and sited in a variety of environments and locations, from a flower rich meadow to a city park, to raise public awareness and test the efficacy of the prototype fabrics.

Karen Ingham is an artist and a Reader in Art and Science Interactions at Swansea Metropolitan University. The Pollinator Frocks Project is being supported by the art, science and technology network SATnet and the Arts Council of Wales Creative Wales Awards.

karen.ingham@smu.ac.uk

www.smu.ac.uk/satnet

www.kareningham.org.uk

For the bees

We Are Worried About The Bees

For the Bees: A song of will for the honey bees

http://weareworriedaboutthebees.wordpress.com/

OWEN AND FERN ARE WORRIED ABOUT THE BEES

For the Bees is a participatory public artwork that has stemmed from a shared concern about the bees. Conceived and led by artists Owen Griffiths and Fern Thomas, For the Bees offers an innovative approach to addressing the threat to our honey bees.

Aaron Koblin ' Visualizing Amsterdam SMS Messages' 

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Data studies with MIT Senseable City Lab, Salzburg University Z_GIS and Current City. Data provided by KPN Mobile.

Interactive tool built with Processing and OpenGL

Aaron Koblin 'Flight Paths'

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Interactive tool built with Processing and OpenGL

Have a look at Aaron Koblin's work - patterns emerging from social data, exciting!

http://www.aaronkoblin.com/

Aaron Koblin is an an artist specializing in data visualization. His work takes social and infrastructural data and uses it to depict cultural trends and emergent patterns. Aaron’s work has been shown at international festivals including Ars Electronica, SIGGRAPH, OFFF, the Japan Media Arts Festival, and TED. He received the National Science foundation's first place award for science visualization and is part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. Currently, Aaron is Technology Lead of Google’s Creative Lab where he helped to launch Chrome Experiments, a website showcasing JavaScript work by designers from around the world.

Hestons Chocolate Feast

Watched Hestons new series last night - what an amzing chef - an artist and a scientist - a real inspiration , if you havent seen it - watch it asap!

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/hestons-feasts/4od