this is a page about shm's digital puppet rig.
it is also an archive for shmuppet shows (lectures, performances, talks, etc., that I've given using the system.)

• what is shm's digital puppetry rig

  • the shmuppetry rig is a big long index.html file with a bunch of JavaScript in it + a CSS file (including my favorite css library, xp.css) for performing digital puppetry in the browser. It draws from a different script (example) for each show or performance (these are written first in a notes document or my sketchbook, then converted to JSON. each scene is a JSON object that sets the dialogue and toggles different settings and puppets on / off. the rig reads each scene in order and moves on the next one when i press the spacebar.) + a couple folders full of assets (pngs, slide images, videos) for use as puppets, served by the same server i use to hold a bunch of other images, etc., for my website.
  • i made it in a 72-hour sprint right before its first performance. so the base set of features is a bit biased to the needs of that performance... but I like to add new features / improvements / puppets each time i use it.
  • i'm using face-api.js and mediapipe for the face and hand tracking. i generally use VSCode + Claude to write code, and test right in my web browser (Chrome / Arc Browser). I also like to make my assets in jspaint if i can help it.

puppets puppeting puppets

June 05, 2026
for the UC Davis Computational Artifice Symposium
a puppet show about puppets, and narrative agents as puppets puppeting puppets.
thank you Josh McCoy and the SING Lab for having me!

an introduction to hci

April 08, 2026
Guest Lecture for CS10: The Beauty and Joy of Computing, Spring 2026
this is my third time giving the semesterly "Intro to HCI" guest lecture for CS10, but my first time performing it as a puppet show!
thank you Dan Garcia and the Beauty & Joy of Computing course community for having me.

critical ai puppet show

March 20, 2026
For Interface to Agency: MDes Forum on Emerging Technologies at UC Berkeley.
thanks Kyle Steinfeld and Sabrina Merlo for having me!

recognizing my self

March 12, 2026
for ALL CHAT, curated by chia amisola at the tiat.place gallery in SF