Leah Bian | Animagine: Speculating on the Future Ethics of Animal Cyborgs

Experience a speculative future in 2036 where mind-controlled animal cyborgs are the next generation of companions and service providers. Explore the ethical implications of this emerging form of coexistence between humans and animals.
 


In a world where science fiction becomes reality, the concept of “animal cyborgs” is no longer confined to the realm of imagination. Recent scientific experiments have demonstrated the transformative potential of modern technologies, blurring the boundaries between animals and machines. Drawing inspiration from these advancements, this project embarks on a speculative journey to explore the ethics and implications of a future where animals are transformed into animal-robot hybrids.

The video installation, as a centerpiece of this project, captivates viewers with two 3D-animated advertisements for “Animagine,” a fictional company that promotes mind-controlled animal cyborgs as companions and service providers to the public. The advertisements depict a world where these cybernetic creatures seamlessly integrate into people’s daily life, offering a range of benefits and possibilities.

Delving deeper, this installation endeavors to explore the moral complexities surrounding this emerging form of coexistence. By presenting viewers with hypothetical scenarios and thought-provoking concepts, it challenges their preconceptions and prompts reflection on the autonomy and agency of animals. For instance, the installation introduces the notion of mosquito cyborgs programmed to eliminate other mosquitoes, raising questions about the manipulation of nature and the potential consequences of such interventions.

Beyond the video ads, the installation incorporates informative posters that elucidate the design ideas behind the products and 3D printed prototypes of “Anima,” the mind-control devices utilized in the project. These representations provide a tangible connection to the technology, allowing viewers to engage with the project on a more tactile level and fostering a deeper understanding of its implications.

In essence, this multifaceted installation serves as a catalyst for introspection, inviting viewers to contemplate the profound ethical questions posed by the rise of animal cyborgs. Through a captivating blend of visuals, theoretical research, and technological prototypes, it encourages audiences to critically examine the potential impacts on the human-animal relationship, the limits of intervention in nature, and the intricate balance between progress and responsibility.

Tags:#Animalcyborgethics#DigitalConsciousness

 

Jiani Yu | beto beto べとべと: An Interactive Kinetic Yokai Sound Installation

beto beto べとべと is an interactive sound installation aiming at recreating the auditory experience people have when encountering and interacting with the formless Japanese Yōkai, Betobetosan, who are recognizable only by their telltale sound – the “beto beto” clacking of wooden clogs – and like to prank lone walkers by following behind them.
 


In Japanese folklore, Yōkai (妖怪, “strange apparition”) are a class of supernatural entities and spirits. The idea of Yokai originates from Japanese Shinto principles, including animism and nature worship, which believe that spiritual entities reside in all natural phenomena and objects. Yōkai were first created to explain supernatural or unaccountable phenomena. Over time, Yōkai evolved into a part of people’s entertainment life, being depicted in manga, illustrations, dramas, and so on. Each Yōkai’s appearance, characteristics, and stories also became standardized.

While visuals about Yōkai are abundant and emphasized all the time, this capstone project focuses on studying the sounds of Yokai. Yokai sounds are significant because they are an important part of people’s encounters with Yokai in folk tales. For some formless Yokai, sound is the only means they have to interact with people. The current way for people to learn Yokai sounds is to read textual descriptions. Since many of the sounds are closely related to Japanese tradition, people who lack knowledge of Japan or experience with similar sounds can hardly have a complete and correct idea of the sounds. Hence, hearing Yokai sounds in person becomes important to understand Yokai and Yokai sounds.

By collecting and analyzing 21 Yokai that make sounds, this project concludes two critical facts about Yokai sounds: Firstly, Yokai make sounds that people are familiar with in their daily lives, such as the sounds of footsteps, sounds of wood cracking, and the sound of waterfalls. Secondly, the reason why people consider the experience of hearing normal sounds supernatural and strange is that they can’t identify the source of the sounds.
To authentically restore the naturalness and ordinariness of Yokai sounds, instead of sound synthesis technologies, the project applies primitive sound-making means to recreate the sounds. With a carefully designed kinetic mechanism using a motor, each sound device can produce the disyllabic sounds of wooden sandals and visually show the movement of walking. The whole installation consists of eight identical sound devices that are placed along a staircase. Computer vision technologies are applied to detect the number of people on the staircase and people’s positions. When one walker is detected, as he/she walks down/up the stairs, sound devices are activated accordingly to create the auditory experience of being followed by the invisible footsteps monster.

The project expands a traditional two-dimensional reading experience of Yokai that relies only on visual sense into a three-dimensional immersive multi-sensory experience. It explores sounds and the relationship between sounds and the environment. By providing a playful interactive sound experience, the project hopes to introduce Yokai to people and bring Yokai to life in a new and fun way.

 

Tags:#soundinstallation#computervision

 

Zhenyu Zhang | Sunyata: Exploring and Co-Creating Digital Temples

Sunyata is an immersive digital experience, synthesized from the integration of VR and Unity technologies. The VR component empowers users with an open space to architect and refine their unique temples, thereby bringing the autonomy of religious creation back to the users.
 

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Opening page of Sunyata

 
 
 

 
“Sunyata” is a Unity+VR project that explores the themes of Buddhist emptiness, presence, and users’ agency of aura towards religious art. Through the Unity and virtual reality experiences, users embark on a journey divided into four scenes, each focusing on different aspects of the project’s concepts.
Chapter 1 – Distance: Users are immersed in a scene where they can only observe the art, creating a sense of distance that challenges their connection to the artwork. This intentional distance prompts users to question their relationship to art and invites reflection. Through a combination of curated music and mirror reflections, the project metaphorically explores the notion of being and the transformative power of self-reflection. The mirror reflection acts as a symbolic representation, allowing users to see the Guanyin in the context of the artwork and encouraging a deeper exploration of the users’ perception and interpretation.
Chapter 2: The Tunnel: It delves into the realm of religious art through a time-tunnel-like tower. Users encounter a scene featuring a monk chanting, and as the statues rotate around the time tunnel, they gain a deeper understanding of the significance and history of religious art.
Chapter 3: The Reflection: It explores the concept of the self, offering users the agency to engage in meditation and self-reflection. The scene incorporates elements such as water, symbolizing introspection. Users can navigate through the reflective water, symbolically representing a transformative journey towards self-awareness and inner peace.
In Chapter 4: Collective Creation, as we are led to the temple with postmodern style and traditional Chinese elements, the focus shifts towards collective creation. Users are invited to go to the VR setting, fostering a sense of collaboration and community by using the models provided in the scene to customize their own temples. This aims to explore the transformative power of collective efforts and the potential for shared creative expression.
By combining elements of virtual reality, sound, visuals, and interactive features, “Sunyata” provides an engaging and thought-provoking experience that encourages users to contemplate their relationship with religious art, and actively participate in the creation of a shared virtual environment.

 


Tags:#Unity#VR

 

Andres Malaga | Open-Source Access Point: The first step towards bridging the digital divide.

This is an access point that was made using open source technology and software. Information about it and an instructions manual that includes all the necessary files to make it have been made available for anyone to make it and contribute to the development of the concept, with the ultimate goal of being a realistic solution to bridge the digital divide in rural and remote areas.
 

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The assembled device powered on.

 
 
 

 
The digital divide is the unequal access to technology and connectivity between different groups of people. In rural and remote areas, the digital divide is widening, as a subpar internet infrastructure and expensive internet service provided by internet service providers (ISPs) poses a barrier to communities in these areas accessing the internet and devices that can be used to connect to it. It has thus become clear that ISPs have failed to provide a reliable internet connection of a minimally acceptable quality and as such new solutions are needed that take the ISP out of the equation as much as possible. Community-led internet connectivity initiatives have been successfully implemented in countries like South Africa (where the Zenzeleni network was shown to be sustainable and even profitable) and Thailand (where the initiative has already been replicated in at least ten more towns after it was a success in the first community it was installed in), and show that these kind of initiatives are the way to start to bridge this gap in this kind of regions. This project’s objective is to be the first step towards a realistic solution to bridge the digital divide that is not made specifically for one community, but rather can be replicated, scaled and adapted to the community it may be deployed at. To do so, four key aspects were kept in mind (in no particular order): sustainability, scalability, ease to install and maintain, and affordability; and an access point was designed using open-source technology and software.
In this case a Raspberry Pi was used to power an access point housed inside a 3-D printed casing, modified off of a Raspberry Pi case available online to be able to hold a power bank, an OLED display, and to insert and remove the Raspberry Pi with ease. A github repository was set up with the necessary files and instructions for anyone to build and program a device like this, and users that make this device may also improve the project by contributing to the repository, thus bringing the device to its ultimate objective, which is to be one of the solutions that bridge the digital divide between rural and urban areas.

 


Tags:#BridgingtheDigitalDivide:Open-SourceAccessPoint#InternetAccess#Open-Source

 

Caren Yim | Motherless : Collective Voices: Embracing Resilience in the Presence of Absence

“Motherless” is a moving and immersive art piece that mixes a touching short video with an interactive installation. It invites viewers to think back on their own experiences and share their feelings, resulting in a group expression of loss, grief, and resiliency.
 

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Installation: Whole view

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Installation: 'Shared Voices'

 
 
 

 
The difficult journey of growing up without a mother is explored in “Motherless.” Viewers are taken inside the life of a person who grew up without a mother through a skillfully prepared interview that is presented as a short film. The film vividly depicts the nuanced feelings, difficulties, and happy moments that come with this particular life path. The film captures the narrator’s true, unfiltered emotions through intriguing imagery and dynamic sound.
After the film, spectators are encouraged to participate in an interactive installation where their voices are incorporated into the story. Viewers are invited to respond to provocative questions about the significance of important absences, their hopes for the future, and key life events that have influenced who they are by adding their answers to a collective book of words that is projected onto a screen. This increasing body of interconnected expressions that is visually observed serves as a powerful tribute to the film’s profound impact and the shared experience of loss and resiliency.
“Motherless” offers viewers the chance to delve into their own experiences and emotions while acting as a catalyst for personal introspection. The installation promotes a sense of connection, empathy, and understanding through this group involvement. It establishes a setting where the sensitive and in-depth exploration of the universal themes of loss, grief, and resiliency can take place.
When spectators lend their voices to the collective expression, the installation develops into a visual and emotional witness to the shared human experience it highlights. The artwork invites visitors to consider, relate, and participate in a compelling conversation about the challenges in living with a sense of loss.
“Motherless” stands as a profound and emotional work of art as a whole, encouraging viewers to embrace their own stories while finding comfort and connection in the common human experience of loss and resiliency.

 


Tags:#GriefandResillience#ArtisticExploration