Interaction:
Interaction is the communication and response between two objects in order to achieve the desired outcome. It is the interplay and exchange of information in both directions as a dynamic process. Interaction occurs when one object outputs information which another object then inputs. They then take this input, process it, and create a new output to be discovered. This cyclical process of information exchange is the source of true interaction.
Project 1:
https://www.creativeapplications.net/member-submissions/90×200/
This project works to express the emotional distress the artist experienced from being bedridden through various mechanical movements. There are certain aspects of this artistic display that align with interaction, such as the viewer’s own challenge to understand the artist’s perspective by creating empathy through the installation, but this display does not fully align with my definition of interaction. The installation, 90×200 successfully gives an artistic output that is then to be visually inputted by the viewer. The viewer will then empathize with this information, but there is no possibility for the installation to then receive further information from what the viewer wishes to communicate. The nature of this installation is that it is a one-way exchange of information, however for it to be interactive, there must be a two-way exchange.
Project 2:
https://www.creativeapplications.net/processing/noraa-machinic-doodles-a-human-machine-collaborative-drawing/
This project works by allowing participants to draw with a pencil attached to a machine, which then measures their drawing strokes, and transfers it to a robot which copies their drawing, and stores that information in order to learn how to draw. This project successfully aligns with my definition of interaction because it is a two-way communication process. The participant will draw something on the paper, which is an output that is then measured by the machine. The machine then outputs that information to the robot, which then outputs the drawing information as its own drawing. The participant is then able to see their drawing copied by the robot and express their emotional reaction to this entire process. This emotion reaction allows the participant to then draw more outputs for the robot. This entirely aligns with my definition of interaction because it allows a two-way exchange of information between the participant and the robot which allows for dynamic experimentation.
Our Project: The Dreamie Beanie
Our idea of an interactive device is a beanie that you wear while sleeping. While you sleep, the beanie collects information from your dreams and stores it into the ball on top which acts as a data storage device. When you wake up, you then remove the ball from the hat and place it into a monitor device, which then takes the information from the ball and plays your dream out as a movie. The device can be used for the entertainment factor of being able to record and replay your dreams, or it can be used in a more medical sense through the revealing of your unconscious psychological intentions.
This project precisely aligns with my definition of interaction because it involves a cyclical exchange of information between two interactors. The dreamer will express their dreams as outputs into the beanie. The beanie’s storage device will then input the dream’s information and output it to the monitor device. The monitor then outputs the dream as a visual display which the dreamer then inputs and processes. The way that the dreamer interprets the movie of their dream will then influence the way they dream in the future, which will then continue to affect the process of understanding their own dreams. This entire exchange of information is a two-way communication process which occurs cyclically and follows my definition of interaction.