Aidan Nelson is an artist and researcher based in New York City whose most recent interests include CT-scanning butterflies, making flexible silicone lenses, performing photogrammetry (3D scans) on historic masks, teaching reinforcement-learning (AI) agents and building electrostatic headphones. He is currently a researcher in residence at the Interactive Telecommunications Program at NYU Tisch.
More projects / links:
Eye in the Sky
An interactive tabletop simulation presented at NYC Media Lab Summit as part of fellowship with AMC Networks on 'Synthetic Media & The Future of Storytelling'
Motion Platform
Unity C# library for control of a 3DOF motion platform
Unity to TensorflowJS
Neural networks trained in Unity's ML-Agents reinforcement learning platform and ported to TensorflowJS.
Refracting Rays
A series of playfully impractical lenses and an interactive drawing application gives audience members a way to intuitively engage with optics and the phenomenon of refraction.
Library of Places
A new search vehicle for the Library of Congress' unfathomably massive photo archive, this experiment uses the analog of a roadtrip as a search through these collections.
p5.js WebGL Improvements
As part of Google Summer of Code in 2018, I made a number of usability improvements to the p5.js open-source creative coding library, with the goal of easing the transition from coding in a 2D environment to a 3D environment for a beginner coder.
NYC Soundscape
The project for Data x Design 2019 reimagines routes through the city as tracks on a musical sequencer, drawing on New York City's open geo-spacial data (of trees, subway entrances, wifi access points, etc.) as notes on these tracks.
CT Scanning Butterflies
...in which I use advanced imaging technology on a painted lady butterfly to engage museum-goers as citizen-scientists.
Paradise Blues
An exploration into the affordances of voice recognition in virtual reality, in which audiences are invited to experience the frustration and disappointment that comes with unlimited power.
Anima Exhibition
The creation of 3D scans as part of an exhibition of African art.
Take the Money and Run
Inspired in equal parts by Oregon Trail, Tamagotchi, and the oppressive noise of the New York City Subway, Take the Money and Run attempts to do very little in a fun way. Live out your dreams of dropping out of the rat-race and traveling the world.
Electrostatic Headphones
Custom electrostatic headphone drivers.