Over the course of the last year we’ve been developing tools and software in collaboration with an amazing artist, TEMPT1, who suffers from advanced stage ALS. The resulting EyeWriter system is a free and open source DIY project that allows TEMPT1 to make art again by using his eyes for the first time in seven years.

An initial milestone in the project was to see TEMPT1 write his name again. Through Kickstarter we are now trying to help push a second milestone, which is TEMPT1′s return to being able to make a living as an artist. As a part of this initiative he is releasing new archival digital prints, an original type face drawn using the EyeWriter, a screen saver, T-shirts, letter press prints, a special xerox zine about his work and message, and large format robotically drawn eye tags.

$10 pledge – Custom eye-drawn font created by TEMPT1 using the EyeWriter (works on Mac, PC and Linux):

$75 pledge – Limited edition letter press print of original design by TEMPT1 (8″ x 10″, edition of 100). Printed by Paper Jam Press. Includes TEMPT1 Second To None zine.

$500 pledge – A Kanye West edition of the original EyeWriter glasses design made by the EyeWriter development team (edition of 5):

$1000 pledge – TEMPT1 tag designed by TEMPT1 using the EyeWriter and drawn with RoboTagger, a large industrial robotic device (edition of 10, each signed by thumbprint):

The Eyewriter team is also going to drop a 2.0 version of the device in the very near future that will allow users to do much more than just write graffiti (e.g. type, speak, browse the web) and costs about $100 in parts. This will be a brand new system that will functionally compete with incredibly expensive medical computing devices. Additional proceeds from the Kickstarter campaign will help fund this initiative.

To support TEMPT1, the Eyewriter team and to own some great art, please visit eyewriter.org/kickstarter and spread the word.

Thank you in advance from the entire team (chris, evan, james, theo, TEMPT1, zach)

Benjamin Gaulon (aka recyclism) has converted his graffiti writing paint ball robot, PrintBall, to be compatible with Graffiti Markup Language (GML).

Workflow:
Tempt1 (in Los Angeles) drew this tag with his eyes using the EyeWriter software, where it was converted to Graffiti Markup Language (GML), and uploaded it to the online GML database 000000book. The tag was then downloaded by Benjamin (in Dublin), imported into his PrintBall robot and blasted onto a wall.

Huge props to Benjamin for getting this all working. Make sure to check out his other projects at recyclism.com

(More photos here.)

It’s easy to find Beanbags (call +9126407382), Royal Enfields and Old Monk Rum in Bombay, but where do you find the parts to build an EyeWriter? Scroll down boss, scroll down.

A Part and Tool List for building a MumbaiWriter: a solder-less version of EyeWriter made from parts and tools found locally in Mumbai.

View MumbaiWriter in a larger map

And if you wanna see what the resolution looks like on the other side of the tracks, here is documentary filmmaker Mark Foster’s take on the EyeWriter parts hunt.

Stay tuned for an upcoming post with assembly instructions from the FAT Lab: Jugaad since 2007.

BIG Thanks to Mark Foster, Anurag Garg, Vikrum Sood, Sreekumar Puthanveetil, Amitabh Bhattacharya, P-13, Nomad Films, Andthen, I.I.T. Bombay, Hanif Kureshi, Wilson, Shaunak, Vikas and the rest of the MumbaiWriter family…

2009: Year of the FAT from james powderly on Vimeo.

In February 2010, the most renowned curators and critics in the world nominated the best 100 designs of the previous year for the Design Museum London’s Design of the Year Show. Amongst the fancy chairs, fabric sports cars and dresses for chubbers, 3 projects by FAT fellows were nominated in the category of Interactive Art: openFrameworks, Graffiti Taxonomy, and the EyeWriter. 100 designs were honored… but only one can win… probably gonna be that dead fashion designer…

So, like Babe Ruth, I’m calling my shot: The FAT Lab is gonna win the Interactive Art Category. Im so certain of it, that i am making a challenge to Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon. If the F.A.T Lab wins, I will wear a red toupee for 3 months. If Amazon’s Kindle 2 wins, Bezos will have to wear the rug for a mere 30 days. If neither of us wins, we both do. C’mon Bezos, you know my number… let’s do dis! Usman, Eno, Jason, you want a piece of this action? In the words of another notorious loser, “Bring it on!”

If you’re in London (i feel sorry for you…), head down to the Museum to check out the show and tune-in to the Culture Show on BBC2 London on March 4th at 19:00 GMT for the results and may the best looking head win! And Tivo that shit, cuz I aint got a TV.

Congrats to Zach, Theo, Chris, Evan, Mick, Tony and the rest of the FAT crew for a great year. LYLAS!

Namaste! The EyeWriter development team just hit the streets of Mumbai, India on a mission to develop a GML-compliant version of the EyeWriter with the best engineers in the near-east from IIT Bombay for TechFest 2010. Maharashtra-style! We will be updating FAT and the EyeWriter blog on the maybe daily with news and instruction sets on how to survive in ole’ Bombay, which hand to use for every occasion, how to be a slumdog hundredaire, etc… oh, and also how to make your own MumbaiWriter.

For the first Mumbai how-to we’ll share some of the advice we got from the original artwankers at c6: How-to haggle down a market vendor in bad Hindi.

(written phonetically cuz we don’t know any better)

– You go into a market and you approach a vendor who is selling something you want. Point at the item and say…

You: “Kidna pasa” — how many pennies for this?

– the vendor is offended. You basically just said they are selling cheap shit. But everyone respects an arse, so they give you a decent price in rupee.

You: “Bo jadda” — too much!

– What did you just say? The vendor should be shocked a dumb foreigner like yourself can speak any Hindi at all and come back with a lower price out of pity…

You: “Com corro” — a little less.

– Are you serious? If the magic is in the air, they may give you an even lower price…

You: “Or com corro” — a little more less?

– WTF? You’re breaking my balls here! Whatever the vendor says next, you should take it. Its probably as low as its going to go for you.

You: “T.K.” — OK.

Don’t be shocked if this goes horribly wrong and stay tuned for more field R&D from sunny Mumbai! If you want to get involved with the project send us an email at info at eyewriter dot org.

FAT LAB HQ in Mumbai

Big thanks to Mick Ebeling and Anurag Garg for making this happen.

“That was the first time i’ve drawn anything since 2003! It feels like taking a breath after being held underwater for 5 minutes.”   –Tony Quan aka Tempt One

eyewriter.org is live!!

Tony Quan, aka Tempt1, is a legendary LA graffiti writer, publisher and activist. He was diagnosed with ALS in 2003, a disease which has left him almost completely physically paralyzed… except for his eyes. Earlier this year, members of FAT, OpenFrameworks, G.R.L., The Ebeling Group and Tempt1, teamed up to create a low-cost, open source eye-tracking system that will allow ALS patients to draw using just their eyes. Check out the project along with source code, free software, diy instructables and eyetags by Tempt1 at eyewriter.org.

The EyeWriter core development team consists of Tony Quan, Evan Roth, Chris Sugrue, Zach Lieberman, Theo Watson and James Powderly.

With support from: The Ebeling Group, the Not Impossible Foundation and Parsons Communication Design & Technology.

Many thanks to: Keith Pasko, LM4K, Eleanor Dunk, Jamie Wilkinson, and Greg Leuch.

Tempt1 eye tagging buildings in downtown LA from Alhambra . Stay tuned for related free software, source code and DIY hardware guide.