INTERACTIVE ART INSTALLATION Janelynn Chan Patrik Lau Aileen Wang Jimmie Sim
ARTIST STATEMENT In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, multitasking is the epitome of productivity representing a smart life in current era - but is it that necessary? In the age of digital connectedness, smart phones, tablets and ever growing forms of mobile technology, a large number of people have become increasingly more immersed in the digital world and they are continuously being disconnected from the physical world around them. Do a few saved minutes really justify putting personal safety or the well-being of others at risk? Is it really worth it to update your Facebook status or Twitter feed rather than paying a full attention on your personal safety? This emerging trend in modern society is commonly known as distracted walking, and it is becoming a predominant issue that needs to be addressed. Throughout our installation piece, we hope to bring these people back to reality and heighten their awareness of their physical surroundings. Our interactive art piece is in the form of an interactive hallway, using small squares that react and respond when they are stepped by pedestrians. Taking cues from artists like Scott Snibbe in works such as Boundary Functions (Intercommunication Center, 1999), we want to expose the lack of caution for people who are highly involved and which some people have when they walk. Through this project, we want people to see that there is always something to watch out; not paying attention to your physical impact on the surroundings can cause preventable injury on others, not only against yourself. Many would not consider texting and walking to be multi-tasking as a primary consideration. We aim to persuade people to reconsider their outlooks on priorities.
SOFTWARE + EQUIPMENT Our initial idea was to have squares being projected onto the walkway utilizing a projector, webcam, and blob detection software in Processing. We would then enable the webcam with high contrast video to detect and monitor blobs, which triggered alerts when destabilized, thus also alerting distracted passersby. However, due though technical complications, as far as we did arrive which the blob detection, we were not satisfied with the detection accuracy it had and thus manipulated the squares for manual movement. Each square was mapped to have a point A and B, to operate from each point per activation. Each square also carries a loud sound alert to further notify the pedestrians and make them to pay attention. Although the initial blob detection did not quite work out, manual intervention of the squares still governed the same effect and results with passersby, as operators were out of sight and pedestrians were still unaware. Our quick change of plans still allowed us to follow through our full intention and still get our message across to distracted walkers. SOFTWARE INSTALLATION DOCUMENTATION Processing javacvpro (javacv + opencv) gstreamer Projector Macbook Pro Logitech Webcam Ladder + bookshelf (to elevate projector) DSLR Cameras Tripod
INTERACTION DIAGRAM This diagram illustrates the interaction methods between equipment and audience. Squares are projected from above, a webcam then measures if and when a distracted pedestrian walks over a square and thus disrupting the pixels of the square. Projection of squares onto ground Motion tracking of squares being stepped on (tracks disturbances of pixels of the squares)
INTERACTION DIAGRAM This diagram illustrates the interaction methods within the computer processing area and its relation to the equipment. It also shows the interaction mediated between artist, equipment and audience, Input Creates the installation to impact the world Artist Output Computer Processing Area Installation Watch and observe the reactions towards the squares Movement Processing Send image of walkway for processing Send video input of camera to process Video input of the hallway to be processed Processing Arduino Camera Projector Move squares if walkers have disturbed them Send video output to be sent to the projector Raw video output for people to see on the hallway Participants and Viewers Constant exposure to the installation which should result in dialogue between viewers and inner dialogue for partipcipants. This is to be supplemented with conversation with the artist afterwards. Projecting the artist s message Walkway Stepping on squares Common area for people Squares The message delivery and physical intereaction
AUDIENCE REACTION + PROJECT SUMMARY Our installation is a representation of physical hazards that could actually occur in the world. Nevertheless, even with the case of our simulation, we were still able to see how prevalent distracted walking has become. We hope that people would consider the question: How might it have differed if certain danger were actually present? The intended audience for this project is the general public, mainly those people who are constantly connected with their technologies. The walkway where the installation will be placed does not require heavy pedestrian traffic. This allows for the existence of projected squares to move around if needed, as well as having sound alerts being triggered once detected. The goal is to put forward the message at face value to be careful on your physical surroundings, rather than interacting with smart phones and being distracted. We interviewed several passersby and other students regarding the prevailing themes of this installation. The responses range from the expected to the surprising, and through the feedback from our audience we feel that our installation piece successfully communicated the issues we are addressing and representative of the artist merit of our art piece.
AUDIENCE REACTION + PROJECT SUMMARY One of the main concerns we are addressing, is the notion of multi-tasking. While many does not initially recognize walking and texting as such, when asked most of our interviewees agreed that walking and texting is indeed multi-tasking. However, the realization does not stop most people from doing so anyways, and many are confident in their skills to detect hazards even if they are immersed in their screens. One interviewee noted that when texting, you are looking down anyways and is therefore able to notice any irregularities on the walkway. However, there are also those to realized the dangers, one interviewee commenting that she has seen videos online and in real-life of people getting into accidents due to their lack of awareness. Overall, most of our interviewees, after discussing it out loud, realize the dangers of walking and texting. Projections on the ground may not cause any harm, however real life hazards will. Hopefully, all the individuals who interacted with our installation will take away from this experience and be more mindful of their surroundings in the future. Watch the video at http://www.youtube.com/user/adepthunter/
WORKS CITED Intercommunication Center. (1999, Sep.). Adding Media, Subtracting Signs: Boundary Functions. Retrieved from http://www.ntticc.or.jp/ Archive/1999/+-/Works/boundary_e.html Joshi. P. (2012). OpenCV On Mac. Retrieved from http://prateekvjoshi.wordpress.com/2012/12/13/ opencv-on-mac-how-to-get-it-up-and-running/ Robottini. (2012). Processing and Opencv 2.3.1 How to install in win 7. Retrieved from http://robottini.altervista.org/ processing-and-opencv-2-3-1-how-to-install-in-win-7 Robottini. (2012). Processing and Opencv 2.3.1 Using JavaCvPro. Retrieved from http://robottini.altervista.org/ processing-and-opencv-2-3-1-using-javacvpro Snibbe, S. (2003). Compliant. Retrieved from http://www.snibbe.com/ projects/interactive/compliant X. Hinault. (2012). Reference Librairie javadocpro. Retrieved from http://www.mon-club-elec.fr/pmwiki_reference_lib_javacvpro/ pmwiki.php