TELE-STIMBOD MANUAL
- 3rd November 1995

This documentation is for use with the Tele-Stimbod application to allow Remote Sites to control Stelarc's Stimbod software and Stimbox hardware. The Stimbod application was originally written by Troy Innocent of Empire Ridge, Melbourne. It was modified to include the remote modem access and communications component by Gary Zebington of Merlin Integrated Media, Sydney, who also designed the Stelarc Web Site. Sam De Silva and Jeffrey Cook, also of Merlin, assisted, as always.

COMMUNICATIONS SET UP:

The Remote to Stelarc Site communications system (Tele-Stimbod) sends commands from one remote Site at a time to another Site where Stelarc is performing. It connects the Stimbod software running on the computer at the Remote Site to the Stimbod software running on another computer at the Stelarc Site which then triggers the muscle stimulator hardware (Stimbox) worn by Stelarc during a performance.
The Tele-Stimbod software effectively links the two computers together, mirroring any user interaction with a Remote Site computer through the telephone lines simultaneously onto the Stelarc Site computer.
Remote Sites, each in turn, then become part of the performance.
A later version of this system will allow many-to-one or multiuser applications.

PERFORMANCE COORDINATION:

It is advisable that each Remote Site has one telephone line for Tele-Stimbod communications and another line for Site to Site voice commmunications to ensure the smooth running of the event. These lines are in addtion to any ISDN link.

One person at each Site should be appointed Site Co-ordinator and it is their task to synchronise and stage manage the Remote Site on-line control performance with the distant Stelarc Site performance.

It is also advisable to set up, test and learn the system well before a public performance.

STEP ONE:

Once the modem connection has been successfully established, the connection lights stay lit on the front of the modem.
Regardless of whether connection has been established, the introduction (wire frame) animation screen appears.
After twenty seconds, the next (Main Menu) screen appears with the options; 'Touchscreen', 'Choreography' and 'Credits'.
If the line drops out and the modem connection lights go out, restart the computer and switch the modem of and on again and repeat the procedure.
While the connection remains open, select either 'Touchscreen' or 'Choreography' depending on the agreed performance scehedule. Generally, it is expected that the Remote Site will use 'Choreography' unless otherwise arranged.

Once 'Choreography' is selected, a selction of eleven steps or choregraphy patterns from A to K will appear as small figures on the screen.

Select the desired sequence of steps by firmly clicking on each figure with a one to two second delay between each mouse click. A sequence of steps will appear at the bottom of the screen as each step is entered and simultaneously sent to the Stelarc Site where a copy of this sequence will appear on the Stelarc Site screen.

Now select 'Play' or 'Improvise/Off/On' at will.

'Play' will run the sequence at the Stelarc Site until 'Stop' or 'Pause' are selected. 'Improvise/Off/On' will add in random steps to the programmed sequence until turned off.

If 'Touchscreen' is selected, a set of numbers appear next to the six points on the virtual body that can be stimulated. Clicking on these points will begin muscule stimulation, clicking on the selected point will stop the stimulation.

Clicking on one point and then another without again clicking on the first selected point (to turn this point's stimulation off) can make variations that are more randomly generated. Clicking on one point then another can produce a third step derived from the first two.

STEP TWO:

Telematicise freely, at will.

here is the LATEST *short list* of hints concerning the use of the *STIMBOD* program:

- select *Choreography*

- sequence the movements by clicking on the gesture icons on the right side of the screen

- press play to initiate the movements on the Stelarc site

- to initiate the next interaction click *stop* and *return* on the left and side of the screen and repeat clicking *choreography*......

Links to other STIMBOD Remote Sites

... STELARC'S Home at MERLIN ...

... TELEPOLIS, Luxemburg ...

... THE McLUHAN PROGRAM IN CULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY, Toronto, CAN ...

... Doors of Perception 3, Amsterdam, NL ...

... Kunsthaus Hamburg, Germany ...

... Media Lab at the University of Art and Design, Helsinki, Finland ...

... The Center for Twentieth Century Studies, Milwaukee, USA ...