Lighting Design aided by Activity Zones and Context-Aware Computing

1. Lighting Design aided by Activity Zones and Context-Aware Computing Andy Perelson Advisor: Kimberle Koile

2. Problem: How can activity zones be used to aid lighting design? • System can learn: • Where people are over time (Activity Zones) • What areas are lit over time (Lighting Zones) • System can then: • Communicate the motion of a play • Test lighting design ideas • Communicate details of lighting design • Control lighting systems • Teach people about production

3. Existing Activity Zone System • Working system implemented in CSAIL as part of Project Oxygen • People tracked by camera or generate simulated data • Infer zones by observing behavior over time • Allow users to relate zones to actions or context features

4. Building Upon Existing System • 3 Necessary Components • Location Awareness – What zones do people inhabit? What areas are lit? • Script (Time) Awareness – Where in the script is the action taking place? • Agent using context information to process and act upon information in a way useful to designers

5. Step 1:Location Awareness: Tracking to Zones • Problems: • Resolving zones from tracking data: Current algorithms create many small zones where one large one would be desirable when presented with small tracking data set. • Need second set of lighting zones • Solution: • Merge zones by defining activities zones in relation to where people are for sections of the script (scenes, between cues). Combine all zones that exist during one section into a larger zone • Input lighting zones as either complete zone • or lighting source and beam information.

6. Step 2:Script Awareness • Script Awareness enables a better interpretation of the actions taking place • Meaning of an action comes from the context surrounding that action • In a play, that context comes from the script • Create a “super” script allowing a connection to be made between movement and text • Maintain audio and text copes of script • Relates movement to appropriate point in script

7. Step 3:The Agent: Using gathered information • Create an Agent to combine data and aid designers through: • Playback: Show lighting designers how stage is used • Integration: Determine if people are always lit (all activity zones are contained by lighting zones) • Communication: Convey design ideas: show changes in lighting zones as the play progresses over time. • Control: If an actor accidentally steps into an unlit area, turn on the light best situated to illuminate him.

8. Resources & Dependencies • Working with Kimberle Koile in collaboration with Royal Shakespeare Company • Building upon current Project Oxygen Activity Zone system • Need a method of collecting rehearsal or performance tracking information • Simulate data (Exists to simulate single person) • Use existing Project Oxygen activity zones setup room and record data while performing

9. Short Term Plan • Further meetings with Kimberle Koile • Learn existing Activity Zone system • Take 6.871 – Knowledge Base Systems • UROP in Spring • Begin Thesis

10. Where can this idea go? • 3D rendering of dynamic lighting design • Expanding to aid other theatrical areas: • Technical Direction • Costume Design • Adapting touring shows to new spaces

11. Conclusion • Activity zones and context aware computing can be used to aid lighting design • Expanding activity zone system to use both lighting and activity zones • Creating an agent which can use this zone information to aid in the development, testing, communication and realization of a lighting design.