The Nazar Project at Nuit Blanche Toronto 2013

#IWouldWantTo asks the public to consider what they would want to be able to do if they could no longer move because of ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease), a disease which progressively paralyzes its victims as their motor neurons degenerate.

On October 5th, when all of Toronto is out wandering the streets for Nuit Blanche, visitors and friends are welcomed to collaborate with artists on the creation of new electronic music pieces using the Nazar Project’s (@ProjNazar) eye tracking device. Based on the open source Eye Writer and EyeCan projects, the Nazar is an open source eye tracking device that developers and designers can incorporate into their projects more easily. If we make this technology easier to implement we believe more products and solutions will be created that serve people with advanced neuro-degenerative diseases.

During Nuit Blanche visitors can Tweet using the hashtag #IWouldWantTo and let us know what they want to be able to do with an eye tracker. These Tweets will help us plan and prioritize future development.

Our partner WaveDNA (@WaveDNA), makers of innovative music generation tools, have already taken on this challenge and have implemented the eye tracking device to control their Liquid Rhythm software using SmithsonMartin’s (@SmithsonMartin) creative and flexible Emulator software.

The evening of Nuit Blanche begins on October 5, 2013 at 6:51pm at PM Gallery (@pmgallery1518, 1518 Dundas Street West, Toronto, just west of Dufferin). Amazing community DJs will be providing live entertainment for the evening using SmithsonMartin’s Emulator and their DJ multitouch surfaces. Electronic music sets and jam sessions will include DJs and artists such as Saro Migirdicyan, Peter Slack, Omar Riad (@ridiculousmusic), Aris Plampe, and Jason Spanu (@therealdjshine).

Follow @ProjNazar for updates and be sure to register for our Nuit Blanche guestlist.

Come and make some music! We’ll be going as long as the beats are flowing!

You can get involved too. Follow the Nazar Project @ProjNazar for updates and new releases. Build an EyeWriter using these simple instructions from the Not Impossible Labs: http://www.notimpossiblelabs.com/eyewriter

If you are a developer join our team. We’re looking for experts in computer vision, software engineering, API design, interface design and development, and testing: developers@nazarproject.com

If you are a designer or developer drop us a line and tell us what we should be doing to make the eye tracker easier for you to implement: ideas@nazarproject.com

If you are an artist with a great idea for an eye tracker, let us know. We are planning a hackathon for 2014 and another #IWouldWantTo event at this time next year.

If you want to know what you are in for at Nuit Blanche on Oct. 5 check out this demonstration of Liquid Rhythm running on SmithsonMartin hardware:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNwlN_sMZGQ 

Partners:

Conveyor Built, conveyorbuilt.com, @conveyorbuilt

Conveyor Built designs and delivers innovation and product design workshops. The Conveyor Built team is currently working on a number of experimental electronic products.

Nazar Project, nazarproject.com, @ProjNazar

The Nazar Project is an open source eye tracking device based on the most popular open source eye tracking devices but specifically trying to solve issues of multiple platform implementation, the integration of other input devices such as EEG and usability design for complex care environments.

Peter Slack, pjslack.com 

Peter Slack is an independent singer-songwriter, a mechanical engineer, computer geek, and entrepreneur. Peter is an active contributor to Songwriter’s Unite! and has performed at folk festivals across the country. Peter also designs software systems ands has worked on the launch of numerous products in the mining, digital media and now the music software industries.

PM Gallery, pmgallery.ca, @pmgallery1518

p|m Gallery is committed to exhibiting innovative, provocative Canadian and international art. Founded in 2004 by Powell MacDougall, p|m Gallery continues to bring work by emerging and mid-career artists to the international arena through solid programming, exhibition exchanges, and participation in international art fairs.

SmithsonMartin Inc., smithsonmartin.com, @smithsonmartin

SmithsonMartin Inc. is a software and hardware development company that focuses on programs for the future on DJing. Their flagship program, Emulator, provides the platform for the most popular DJ software programs to be used on multi-touch screens.

WaveDNA, wavedna.com, @waveDNA

WaveDNA is Toronto-based music software development company founded in 2010. They have applied discoveries gathered from more than 15 years of music research to designing and building the next generation of virtual software instruments.