Final Project: Preparatory Research and Analysis
Final Project: Preparatory Research and Analysis
Interactive project 1: The Mood Reflecting Floor
The Mood Reflecting Floor is an interactive project created by Mazi Tradonski and Michael Abramovich. It was designed to pick up different body languages and reflect them with lights projecting on the floor. Artists used the Phidget distance sensor and controller (www.phidgets.com) and Processing code (processing.org) so as to pick up different body languages and react to some of them and also help change the user mood by showing playfulness and interacting more like a game of catch.
I think this project is interesting and highly aligns with my definition of interaction. It focuses on the emotions of humans and uses light and movements to illustrate that. Also, it is easy for users to interact with it and requires little instruction. In comparison to my midterm group project, The Mood Reflecting floor has better visual effects, attracting more viewers and having a better interactive experience. The sensors are sensitive and the movement is smooth.
Interactive project 2: The Mood Room
It is an interactive installation using ’embodied learning’: a form of learning which requires the whole body. The visual effects are wonderful and delicated.
The aim of the Mood Room is to enhance the well-being of young people. Nowadays, many teenagers and adolescents find it difficult to communicate about their inner world and to express their feelings. This interactive installation provides them with an opportunity and access to develop social-emotional competencies and empathy ability. Also, it creates awareness of emotions and helps viewers to become pleasant people.
◇ I appreciate these two projects because it not only utilizes the physical behaviors of users but also finds some relationship with the inner world of them, which probably leaves an influence on the users instead of simply interaction like we did in the midterm project. This idea aligns with thoughts of Ernest Edmonds written in “Art, Interaction and Engagement”. “For interactive art, this perspective introduces the possibility of considering interactions that have effects in the future and that may even have no observable response at the time.” The reaction between two actors is both immediate and long-lasting. I think this mode is more beneficial to convey the intentions of the makers.
Interactive project 3: Interactive Cloth Simulation
This is a physics engine that could model reasonably high-resolution soft bodies interactively and in real-time using a standard gaming GPU. Users can move the model’s leg, arm or scarf and then she will change into another ballet position. The interaction is really fun.
References:
Art, Interaction and Engagement by Ernest Edmonds
Interactive Technology in Public – Mood Floor. (2016, November 15). Retrieved from https://davdofficial.wordpress.com/2016/11/15/interactive-technology-in-public-mood-floor/
Waag. (n.d.). Mood Room. Retrieved from https://waag.org/en/project/mood-room