jonnygoldstein.com

The power suit is a set of technology embedded coveralls which enable the wearer to trigger digital media, wirelessly, in conjunction with public speaking, teaching, and performance. The wearer presses points on the suit, triggering buttons which signal a microcontroller to send out signals which are transmitted via radio to a receiver which sends the signals to a multimedia application, Max/MSP/Jitter, which triggers the correct audio or visual file, which are played on a visual display or sound system. In addition to the media triggering buttons, the suit has two buttons with which the wearer can move forward or backward to different selections of media files. An earlier version of the suit used a Nintendo Power Glove to trigger media, but this was phased out in the current version. I ended up using the suit more for audio.

I created a short comedy routine, called “Jonny in the Machine,” in which I, via the suit, communicated with my future self whose consciousness was uploaded to a bunch of buggy servers in the year 2099. Thus far, I have performed with the suit at NYU, Washington Square Park, Neo(Con)ey Island, Salem College, and public schools in New York, California, and Colorado.

For a more exaustive documentation of the process of developing the suit, as well as the writing of “Jonny in the Machine,” visit the PowerSuit blog. For a videoclip of my Thesis presentation, including a demonstration of the suit, click here.

This is from a performance in Shirley Recital Hall at Salem College in Winston-Salem North Carolina. I was not controlling the organ in the background with the suit, but maybe someday…

The PowerSuit 1.0 which used a hacked Nintendo Powerglove as one of the controllers. In addition to triggering audio, I triggered video clips on the monitor behind me. This version of the suit was created, by myself, Marc Maleh, and Quin Charity. In this iteration, the suit could not switch between groups of media files.

This shot is from a performance at an event protesting the then impending Republican National Convention in New York City.

I have used the suit as a catalyst for discussing wearable technology in public schools in New York, North Carolina, Colorado, and California. This shot is from a middle school in Longmont, Colorado.