A Requiem for Tom Lynch is an augmented reality Installation poem enabled by a unique MAX/MSP + pentag object. Augmented reality overlays digital  imagery on physical objects in real time and in this piece, the power of robust, multiple, simultaneous fiducial recognition with sound activated through proximity has been made easy to work with through the addition of a unique MAX/MSP interface. It’s a unique authoring environment and a wonderful medium for poetic expression.

The flowers the user/reader puts in the vase are overlaid with ar tag symbols.  The reader experiencing the poem is required to hold the flowers and bring the poem to life by unlocking the textual, video and audio elements with a hand-held video camera -- the basic idea is that the camera attached to the reader’s computer  can ‘see’ these symbols being explored and overlay digital content.  The reader experiences the effect by watching their computer screen or, ideally, by wearing optical or see-through display goggles. For a public reading the computer can be hooked up to a projector.

Many thanks for your attention and consideration.

Creators of the PenTag object:  Andrew Roth, Andrei Rotenstein and Mikhail Sizintsev, under the direction of Caitlin Fisher and in collaboration with  PenTag developer

Dr. Mark Fiala.

Special thanks to Patrick White and Mo Engel