Summary of "Programmable Ink" by Szymon Kaliski (Strange Loop 2022)

00:00:00 - 00:35:00

The speaker in the video discusses their work on a project called "Programmable Ink." This ink can be programmed to perform specific tasks, and the speaker demonstrates how it can be used to solve problems.

• 00:00:00 Szymon Kaliski discusses the research track he's been a part of at ink and switch, focusing on tools for creators. He discusses how pen and paper is a great tool for externalizing thoughts, and how it is flexible enough to be used in a variety of ways. He goes on to say that while pen and paper is static, recent advances have made it possible to create dynamic media.
• 00:05:00 In this video, Szymon Kaliski explains how pen and paper can be used for Dynamic systems, sketching being a drawback of Dynamic systems. He demonstrates how ink base, a prototype for a Dynamic system, uses spatial queries to provide feedback to the user.
• 00:10:00 In this video, Szymon Kaliski demonstrates how he created a reactive system using primitive ink and reactivity. He shows how this system is unsuitable for more complex interactions and how he would have to describe the functionality in excruciating detail in order to get anything out of the system.
• 00:15:00 The author of the video demonstrates a few prototypes that explore ways to programatically create complex structures and behaviors. One of the prototypes is called Crosscut, which allows users to create lines and structures that stay in a specific position, even when dragged around. The other prototype, Recovery, allows users to edit and manipulate shapes and values existing on meta ink, which the author describes as a "vector drawing application with values."
• 00:20:00 The video explains how to create a "programmable ink" prototype to help with task such as grading papers or organizing a classroom. The first example uses a simple geometric primitive to represent a student, and the second example uses a more abstract representation of a student.
• 00:25:00 The video demonstrates how to use a spatial query to find all of the students in a given space and assign them to specific days of the week. The system can be configured to be more relaxed or specific, depending on the needs of the user.
• 00:30:00 The author presents a prototype for a programmable ink system that allows users to easily manipulate dynamic systems. The system is still in its early stages, but has the potential to greatly improve the process of problem solving.
• 00:35:00 The speaker discusses a project they are working on called "Programmable Ink." This project involves the use of ink that can be programmed to perform specific tasks.