Fred Leighton

Interaction Design Web Design App Development Augmented Reality / Virtual Reality Animation / Video Package Design Artwork

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Fred Leighton

UW-Whitewater Georgia Tech Bowling Green State

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Fred Leighton

Interaction Design Projects

Tangible Synergetic Domes

Georgia Tech, Digital Media, MS Thesis Project, 2012. Proof of concept design and development: an interactive children's science museum exhibit for understanding the principles of geodesic dome construction developed by R. Buckminster Fuller. Showcasing skills acquired in the areas of Tangible User Interface (Table-top TUI), Industrial Design and Exhibition Design. By picking up and placing triangles into position, children learn about geodesic dome construction. Identifying the repeating patterns in these structures without comprehending the mathematics involved. Developed in Digital Media program at Georgia Tech. TEI 13 - Work in Progress Paper

Exhibition Display

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Hemisphere Touch Surface

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Research, Models

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Construction

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Tangible Cryptocurrency

Ambient User Interface and Tangible User Interface, 2017. Proof of concept design for information visualization system with an embedded computing object that functions independently and as a tangible in a TUI. Current and historical prices for Bitcoin are collected and analyzed for changes in value over time. The amount and direction of change in these values over the past day is communicated through object’s light levels and color values. When the object is used as a tangible, the TUI surface displays graphics, connected to the object, that indicate Bitcoin values and changes for the previous week. Developed as part of research at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Work in Progress Paper - unpublished

Ambient User Interface

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AUI in TUI with Graphics

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AUI in TUI with Graphics

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AUI in TUI with Graphics

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Six Million Dollar Man

Design Concept, Working Prototype, 2014. This trivia game features content from the Six Million Dollar Man and Bionic Woman 1970s television series and associated popular culture artifacts. Points are scored by answering questions from an iPhone app. A modified original 1978 Bally pinball machine playfield has been outfitted with forty-eight working LEDs and sound to provide positive and negative feedback. LEDs are connected to Arduino processors and controlled by MAX software. Wireless communication via Wi-Fi signal.

Pinball Playfield

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Arduinos and LEDs

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Trivia Question

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Trivia Media

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Digital 8-Track

Class Project, Georgia Tech, Aesthetics of Digital Media, Fall 2011. This project explores using older delivery formats for popular music to act as physical containers for digitally remastered versions of original content. Re-designing the orignal format container to deliver updated digital content is an exploration of these questions: how does an artifact, in this case an 8-Track tape, help create personaliztion? What are the design choices for form in delivering digital content when physical size for storage is always decreasing and not a constraint? Does remastering the original audio with current techniques and standards make the re-release necessarily better?

8-Track Container

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Connecting via USB

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iAnimals

Class Project, Georgia Tech, Exhibition Design, Summer 2011. Design of mobile app for Atlanta Zoo. Prototype built in Flash. Goals: Provide relevant information for visitors: GPS enabled map, hours, rates, schedule. Enhance exhibits with information and activities. iAnimal: Collectible digital cards in app. Scan QR code at exhibit. Targeted to children (8 - 12 yrs). Activities linked to animals. Designed for use at exhibits.

Scan QRCode at Exhibit

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Sound, Movement Interaction

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Komoto Dragon Locator

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Komoto Dragon Locator

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Distant Narratives

Class Project, Georgia Tech, Independent Study, Spring 2011. This project addresses the issue of isolation in older adults by allowing for presence to be communicated through visual and haptic feedback. The prototype design shown here is a first step in realizing a design which inculdes motion sensors, video cameras, and fans set in passage ways in the home; still images and motion are communicated between three remote stations. Each setup sends and receives data using wireless internet. The feeling of physical proximity generated from the movement of air is a subtle communication of presence, similar to the sensation of walking by another person.

Prototype

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Installation Visualization

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Installation Visualization

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Installation Visualization

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Electroluminescent Poster

Group Project, Georgia Tech, Mobile and Ubiquitous Computing, Fall 2011. Electroluminescent material is used in several products as an innovative solution to create designs which feature areas of lighted material with dynamically controlled luminance values. In a poster format, EL surfaces are combined with masking materials to design layouts. This project featured EL material created with a custom printing process which included screen printing of conductive, dialectric, and EL ink on a mylar surface treated with conductive ITO. The map is designed for use at bus stops. Initial desgin concepts included interactivity with touch surface. An arduino microprocessor collects data for current bus locations, the map displays this information visually, as an illuminated section of the corresponding route. Group Paper for Course - unpublished

Touch Surface

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Silkscreen Process

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Mylar with Dialectric, EL Inks

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Fred Leighton

Web Design Projects

Argon Website

As part of my Graduate Assistantship in the Augmented Environments Lab at Georgia Tech in 2010-11, I designed and developed a promotional website to coincide with the release of Argon to the Apple App Store. The site contains example projects, information on getting started with Argon, and links to information for developers.

Homepage

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Demo Video

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Visualization

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Odditorium Online

This is an online interactive tour of artist Joe Coleman's Odditorium in Brooklyn, New York. The Odditorium houses Coleman's collection of rarities and oddities. Panoramic views of this collection and video of Joe Coleman giving a guided tour. Developed in 2004 using QuickTime.

Joe Coleman Painting

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View of Collection

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Video Tour

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Fred Leighton

App Development Projects

Artsdigital Portfolio

The artsdigital portfolio app utilizes table views to present images, audio, and video for projects and includes descriptions in scrolling text views which can be turned on or off. Developed in X-Code, Objective-C, for iPhone, 2013.

Select a Project

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View Media

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Media with Description

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Five Card Stud Poker

This five-card stud poker game was authored in the XCode, written in Objective-C, for iPhone, 2009. Cards are progressively dealt for two, dealer and player. Points can be bet as cards are dealt and totals are updated as hands are won or lost. Hands are recognized and compared to pick a winner.

Dealing Cards and Betting

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Winner Determined

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Fred Leighton

Mobile Augmented Reality Projects

ChemistARy

Mobile Android App, Information Design with Augmented Reality, 2019-2022. Working with content expert Steven Girard, Associate Professor in the Chemistry department, this app was developed as part of research at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. The app assists undergraduate students in learning the principles of VSPER Theory. By choosing the number of lone pairs and bonding groups, the user is presented with the corresponding molecular geometry information: the angle and molecular geometry type is given with an augmented reality 3D model of the structure which can be examined. The 3D model replaces traditional ball and stick model kits. Research is continuing to measure the effectiveness of this app compared to previous methods of learning. Developed with Unity and Vuforia. Presented at The Learning Ideas Conference 2022

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the portARble museum

Presentation at MW18: Museums and the Web 2018 and MCN 2018. Mobile AR development with AR.js, a JavaScript library for the development of Augmented Reality (AR) content for mobile Web browsers on smart phones with Android or Apple iOS 11 operating systems, AR Web projects inspired by Duchamp’s Portable Museum can be realized today with a set of simple and straightforward development tools. MW18 - Published Paper

Presenting at MW18

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Primitive Model and AR Marker

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glTF 2.0 Model registered to AR Marker

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cryptocARrency

Ambient User Interface with Mobile Web Augmented Reality, 2018. Proof of concept design for an information visualization system comprised of an ambient user interface (AUI) and augmented reality (AR) graphics viewed in a mobile web browser. Current and historical values for Bitcoin are collected and analyzed for changes in value over time. The amount and direction of change in these values over the past day is communicated through an embedded computing object’s light levels and color values. Related AR graphics indicate changes for the past seven days. Developed as part of research at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Abstract - unpublished

AUI and Mobile AR

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AUI Object

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View in Mobile Browser

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High Museum / Howard Finster

Student Project, Georgia Tech, 2010-11, AR Studio. Acclaimed Outsider artist Howard Finster (1916-2001) created an art environment, Paradise Garden, located in Summerville, GA. Several of these works are now displayed in Atlanta's High Museum. This student project uses Argon to deliver panoramic images and visualizations along with audio, providing added meaning and context to the museum collection.

Gallery View

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Visualization

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Gallery View

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Paradise Garden, 1987

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Virtual Tour Guide

The VTG is an application built with Argon for iPhone and show at the CES Conference in Las Vegas in 2011 with Alcatel-Lucent. This project features: The Advanced Channel Server which aggregates and prioritizes content to be displayed. The VTG supports WCF integration for Click-to-Dial, Click-to- Chat and Presence. It also features AR Web Content, curated by property and content owners (e.g. commercial content), and social network and user controlled crowd sourced content. As part of my Graduate Assistantship in the AEL Lab at GA Tech, I designed interface elements and developed content for this project.

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Motorola TV

Project concept development. Developed for Motorola as part of Graduate Assistantship with the AEL Lab at Georgia Tech. Sample content, AMC Series, The Walking Dead, set in Atlanta. Argon interfacing with TV / Set Top content.

Visualization

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Storyboard

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Mobile Virtual Reality Projects

Job Training for Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Design and Development of a Mobile VR project for use in an experiment as part of graduate thesis research on the use of new media technologies in job training for adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Developed in Unity for iPhone and Google Cardboard. Particpants watched a video demonstrating the wiring of a socket. Then, they experienced a VR interactive simulation for the same task. Outcomes were measured to evaluate the efficacy of VR as a job training tool.

Development in Unity

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Viewing in Cardboard

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Fred Leighton

Animation / Video Projects

LEM on the Moon

SCAD, student project, 2003. 3D modelling and animation in Maya.

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Science Faction

Class Project, Georgia Tech, Digital Design, 2010. Animation design based on research in nano-technology for cancer detection and treatment. Visualization of mission based on Voyager, Viking, and Cassini-Huygens NASA probes. After Effects, Photoshop and Google SketchUp

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London Calling

Class Project, SCAD, Cinematography and Editing, 2004. 30 second promo created with Photoshop and After Effects.

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Bionic Eyes

Class Project, SCAD, Cinematography and Editing, 2004. Music video created with After Effects.

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Abby Slide

Class Projects, SCAD, Drawing in Motion, Spring 2003. Cell animation, hand drawn rotoscoping technique.

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Fred Leighton

Package Design

Retro Toy - Astronaut GI Joe

This class assignment was to take a retro toy and design new packaging. This design employs a one piece folding paper design, similar to oragami, which echoes an Atlas Rocket. The pyramid form package opens to reveal the Astronaut GI Joe figure inside.

Pyramid Form

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Bottom View

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Interior View

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Product - Smilodent Toothpaste

This 2004 class assignment was to design a product and packaging for a drug store product. The prototype was placed in-store, to show how it would display with competitor brands. Smilodent toothpaste was designed to compete with bargain brands including UltraBrite and Gleem.

Smilodent with Competing Products, In Store

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Smilodent with Competing Products, In Store

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Smilodent with Competing Products, In Store

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Fred Leighton

Artwork

Audio Visual Synthesis

My 2005 MFA Thesis Exhibition included a performance with MIDI devices and game controllers allowing me to 'play' a Flash animation, controlling form, color, transparency, and movement in real-time with complimentary sound. I also exhibited automated pieces with animation parameters controlled by MIDI note values. Go East Young Man, 2007, is an interactive work featuring LED lights triggered by sound. Audio clips are chosen by the viewer using a game controller.

Animation Projection

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Animation Projection

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Performance, 2005

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Go East Young Man, 2007

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Imaging

The Secret of Bigfoot Pass, 2009. Eight 3D anaglyphic digital prints. The title of the work refers to the 1976 TV show and paperback of the same name featuring the Six Million Dollar Man character, Steve Austin. In the story, the legend of Sasquatch is explained as a cyborg created by Alien explorers. In this group of works, the artist explores the significance of these characters and subject matter in 1970s popular culture. The Impersonal Life, 2008. Digital print on paper with copy of paperback book, The Impersonal Life. Edition of 3. Graceland aura. Study for Eternity, 2008. Plexiglass, digital prints on transparencies and photo paper. Triple image composite.

Secret of Bigfoot Pass, 2009

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Secret of Bigfoot Pass, 2009

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Study for Eternity, 2008

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Impersonal Life, 2008

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Installations

Gallery views, The Secret of Bigfoot Pass, 2009. Shalon Light Cube: Plexiglass (2ft x 2ft each side), fiber and computer-controlled LED lights. The title of the work refers to the 1976 TV show and paperback of the same name featuring the Six Million Dollar Man character, Steve Austin. In the story, the legend of Sasquatch is explained as a cyborg created by Alien explorers. In this group of works, the artist explores the significance of these characters and subject matter in 1970s popular culture. Channel 24: Video camera fixed on a live television screen. Resulting video feed is sent through MAX/MSP/Jitter software to alter the information, displaying it as a projected monotone, abstract animation. 2008

Secret of Bigfoot Pass, 2009

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Secret of Bigfoot Pass, 2009

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Secret of Bigfoot Pass, 2009

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Channel 24, 2008

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Fred Leighton

University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

Media Arts and Game Development

MAGD 150 - Introduction to MAGD

Spring 2021 Syllabus

MAGD 270 - Web Development

Spring 2022 Syllabus

MAGD 271 - Physical Computing

Spring 2022 Syllabus

MAGD 272 - Game Development

Spring 2022 Syllabus

COMM 294 - Gaming Journalism Website

Spring 2018 Syllabus

COMM 496 - AR for Mobile Devices

Fall 2021 Syllabus

MAGD 487 - Senior Captstone I

Fall 2017 Syllabus

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Fred Leighton

Georgia Institute of Technology

Literature Media and Communications

LMC 3705 - Information Design

Spring 2014 Syllabus

LMC 2720 - Visual Design

Spring 2014 Syllabus

LMC 3206 - Comm and Culture

Fall 2012 Syllabus

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Fred Leighton

Bowling Green State University

Digital Arts

ARTC 321 - Digital Imaging

Fall 2007 Syllabus

ARTC 331 - Interactive Art

Spring 2008 Syllabus

ARTC 201 - Intro to Digital Arts

Spring 2008 Syllabus

Visual Communication Technology

VCT 3040 - Display-Exhibit Tech

Fall 2009 Syllabus

VCT 3660 - Intermed Interactive

Fall 2009 Syllabus

VCT 4600 - Digital Photography

Spring 2010 Syllabus

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