The Georgia Institute of Technology is participating in the first ACCelerate: ACC Smithsonian Creativity and Innovation Festival on Oct. 13-15, 2017 at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, DC. The festival, a gathering of all institutions in the Atlantic Coast Conference, will celebrate creativity and innovation with a specific focus on science, engineering, art, and design.

The festival features performances, conversational talks, and 48 interactive installations from the 15 ACC schools. Georgia Tech will send four projects created by students, faculty, and researchers who are crossing traditional boundaries to develop new possibilities for exploration, expression, and creativity. These projects were selected from among 35 Georgia Tech submissions juried by the ACC Festival Committee:

LuminAI: LuminAI is a dome-based art installation in which participants can engage in collaborative movement improvisation with each other and virtual AI-based dance partners. Rather than focus on the human as master creator and the computer as the traditional “support tool” - LuminAI examines how humans and machines can co-create experiences together. As a result, the LuminAI installation is a movement-based play space where participants can freely dance with AI-based characters. The virtual agents analyze participant movements and improvise responses; in other words, the agents learn how to dance by dancing with us.  For space considerations, the interactive experience at the festival will utilize a large shadow screen. Participants: Brian Magerko, Duri Long, and Mikhail Jacob. https://youtu.be/_lI0_4HBkAU

Electrocet: The Electrocet project started with the idea that you shouldn't have to buy a sports car or an electric vehicle or a commuter car - there should be a car that can excel in all driving scenarios, just by selecting the right drive mode. The Electrocet is a proof-of-concept vehicle for a super-versatile electric powertrain system that can deliver electric-only commuting, superb fuel economy, and thrilling acceleration. Students made everything: the frame, suspension, and drivetrain. The car is a bold concept for the future of automotive powertrain design. Participants: Ben Horst, Josh Preissle, and Alex Gray https://youtu.be/7T6-09yak7U

Creative Collisions: Georgia Tech technologists collaborated with artist Katherine H. Fisher to build an interactive garment that engages audience participation in her performance piece Characters. The garment “Le Monstre” is a fun “fraggle rock” type creation that includes touch sensors, stretch sensors, distance sensors, and accelerometers. The creation of this project offered opportunities for artists to learn about engineering and technology creative processes, while also allowing experts in engineering and technology to see first-hand what artists need to relate to broad audiences in site-specific locations in their process and practice. At the festival, the garment will be on display with interactive capabilities. Participant: Clint Zeagler, Laura Levy, Katherine Helen Fisher, and Shimmy Boyle https://youtu.be/lOB7ilVVZXg 

https://youtu.be/1YAICeLR5_8

RIB CAGE: RIB CAGE is an electro-acoustic instrument that incorporates elements of robotics. This instrument is designed to explore the relationship between human and robot co-performing in a single instrument. Through the use of robotics, the interactive aspect of the instrument is made physical and visible. The metaphor for this instrument is a rib cage (3D printed plastic ribs) with spines (aluminum bars) and a heart (solenoid and red LED). The human musician performs on the 3D printed rib cage as well as the aluminum bars while the robotic component hits the aluminum bars. The human’s performance on the instrument affects how the robotic components interact, and this robotic interaction is intended to affect and inspire the performer. The instrument is designed for performing experimental percussive music as well as drone and noise music. Participant: Takumi Ogata https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9BPFXZ2TL8

The campus community can see the Georgia Tech projects this fall before they head to Washington. The GVU Center Brown Bag Seminar Series will feature each project at 11:30 am at the start of the following Brown Bag events at the Technology Square Research Building:

September 14: Electrocet
September 21: LuminAI
September 28: Creative Collisions
October 5: RIB CAGE

See more information about the GVU Brown Bag Seminar Series here.

Funding for Georgia Tech's participation in the ACCelerate Festival is generously provided by the Georgia Tech Division of Student Life and the Office of the Arts, the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, the Georgia Tech Parents Fund, and Marion and Gail Glover.

Georgia Tech’s participation in the festival is coordinated by the Office of the Arts. For more information please contact Es Famojure at 404-385-4845.