We’ve been ask to record a seminar here in Manchester. For me it was the first test of the final product. The recording worked well. If you want a look: http://tinyurl.com/ThomasHPayne (CREW URL are a pain – so I created a short cut). With the upload there have been a number of bugs. First I could not create a user name for myself. Secondly when uploading a recording to an event which does not exist in the crew server yet the creation of all necessary directories did not work properly. Harvesting of the uploaded event needed some tinkering. Once all the little bugs there overcome the recording played without problem.
CREW was presented in a short session covering all four VRE phase 2 projects. The event was a JISC funded workshop in Edinburgh (NESC 9th June 2009). This acted also as one of two wrap-up sessions.
This workshop also considered the Community Engagement projects.
Some random points, areas to be tackled and thoughts :
- Visualization of user awareness – lots of people are unaware of tools.
- Security – data issues.
- Support infrastructure – how to create an aligned infrastructure: key is AG
- How to start a new service…?
- Q – what stops or hinders research.
Lots of points raied on taking prototypes and current systems to the next stage – and enable new research.
Aside: Last month there was a longer presentation on CREW which is available on slideshare.
Two projects are continuing some of the ideas of CREW within the VRE Phase 3 Programme:
Both share a wiki at http://wiki.rcs.manchester.ac.uk/community/vre3 which has direct web lins for more information.
At the rSUE wrap-up meeting (6th-7th May 2009) the joint poster joined many (80+) project poster, leaflets and demonstrations. (poster top left)
Integration within Institutional Repositories and gaining committment from senior management is the next hurdle – but an interesting race. One aside was the extensive and at times (well occasionally) interesting tweets #RPMeet
Gas Street Works are filming the CREW project (VRE2 Programme) today.
CREW code and documentation is being archived on Google Code under a BSD license: http://code.google.com/p/crew/
CREW being used at the UoM HS research meeting 10th March 2009
Items:
- Far left Meik Poschen is adding live annotation; comments and slide captions on his iPhone (VPN connection to the wi-fi system)
- Left laptop is connected by a cable to the front computer recording the projected video stream – ppt and mouse movements etc. Controlled by Andrew Rowley.
- This laptop is also connected to the wireless mic (silver and black boxes on top of each other). This records the audio. The speaker is on the front desk and captures sound from a wide range of angles.
- Camera on tripod is also connected to the left laptop and is recording the video view of the speaker. Only one camera is being used in this case.
- My laptop, a slow Dell, on the right is just annotating the event – and is using a simple wi-fi connection. The screen shows the simple and easy to use (large buttons) interface lauchable from any browser, for audience live annotation.
- Live annotation is also being recorded from the left laptop – also wi-fi connected.
The complete setup took about 20-25 mins to fix and test for this single camera system. Also, this version of the CREW kit is relatively portable as shown by Meik Poschen – who can hold it easily in one hand (even one finger) – laptops separate but there was room in the rucksack.
There was minimal interference with the host, speaker or audience – and hopefully all the extra information results in useful research-connections. And slightly quicker to pack away.
Demonstrations:
CREW and myExperiment are sharing a demonstration slot at the JISC Conference 2009 – Edinburgh EICC Tuesday 24th March.
11:10am-11:30am CREW Demonstration; stand 4 – Tuesday 24th March 2008
There will be pre-setup time and available for discussion from 9:30am.
http://www.jisc.ac.uk/jiscconference09
The new version with semantic based facet searching and harvesting tools was shown.
This image shows the setup showing all components in a connected – if not necessarily tidy – manner.
CREW and other AG (VRE projects) were presented as part of the JISC Roadshow in London
Workshop title From motion capture to ancient manuscripts: using complex digital resources across disciplines, Given within the talk “Reasons and Experience for Needing Visualizations of Complex Remote Data Sources”, Martin Turner, University of Manchester Friday 30th January 2009. This involved also a series of visualization steering methods and example case studies from experiences at the University of Manchester and the vizNET (JISC) initiative.
Workshop abstract was “Researchers from all parts of the campus are long-used to collecting, structuring and presenting their data in databases, spreadsheets, webpages etc, using a range of widely available and generic tools. In recent years, however, advances in digitization technologies have led to the creation of much more complex data objects.”
Topics did include a discussion on meta-data and its essential use and search, but no final solutions were given. One point was the concept of providence and also how to change meta-data – lots of food for thought.
PS should be available as a video recorded session – without the question and answer sessions.
CREW and PAG – along with RACE, e-Dance and other Access Grid projects were demonstrated at the JISC Roadshow. Advanced Tools and Technologies for Collaborative Research 6 November 2008.
To demonstrate the multi-use the screenshot shows a small shuttle PC – the AGSC portable unit – running IOCOM, PAG as well as CREW on a single system.
For multi-core units the CPU loading of Flash was no problem.
