DfPI Term II Portfolio

PLAY-SPACE AS A RESEARCH TOOL

Alexandra Niaka (RC202) . Isabella Ong (RC201) . Marianna Chrapana (RC201)

TABLE OF CONTENTS CONCEPT The Viscous Body: Body negotiation with space Biosensing data: Stimuli and inner states

RESEARCH AND EXPLORATIONS 1A Discomfort: Body and physical constraints 1B Collected Data: Data visualisations with Unity3D 2 Affective Systems: Feedback between biosensing and mechanical systems 3A Materiality: Interfacing with the body Jamming experiments Elephant trunk arm Movement control device for the arms 3B Real-time Data: EEG Recordings and visualisations with processing 4A Play: Hacking every day spaces into interactive play-spaces “Don‘t be a couch potato” “Mind your step”

NEXT STEPS ‘Play-space as a research tool’: Combining physical space with neuro data Introducing the role of Observer

APPENDIX BIBLIOGRAPHY

CONCEPT How environmental stimuli are perceived and alter inner states How spaces activate the body and stimulate us to explore

Environmental stimuli

Inner state

Actions

We are interested in creating active relationships between the body and its material environment, through continuous biofeedback between its inner states and the body’s engagement with the physical space

THE VISCOUS BODY : BODY NEGOTIATION WITH SPACE

The body is to be considered as a malleable matter, subjected to changing configurations to ensure that it constantly engages with the space in new ways.

Don’t be a couch potato (2018), Alexandra Niaka, Isabella Ong, Marianna Chrapana

BIOSENSING DATA: STIMULI AND INNER STATES

Biosensing technology is utilised to help us understand how environmental stimuli are perceived and alter our inner states.

Electroencephalogram (EEG) headset.

Our critique: Emotiv claims to be able to quanity emotions based on brainwave data collected from the headsets.

We, instead, are nterested in using the neuro data from the headset as part of a real-time biofeedback loop to alter the behaviour of the body in the physical space.

EEG Headset: Perspective Drawing

RESEARCH & EXPLORATIONS Biosensing Data

Active relationship between body and environment

EEG Headset

Pulse Sensor

pairing with headset and personal computer

Materiality

Discomfort

Play

Affective Systems

Collected Data

Record Real time data

OSC communication

Softness, stiffness

How the body negotiates

Hacking everyday

Feedback loop between

Data visualisation

post-process:

Real time

interfacing with the body

physical constraints

passive movements

biosensing and mechanical system

with Unity 3d

visualisation & manipulation

data visualization

of recorded data with processing

with Unity 3d

Experiment 3A

Experiment 1A

Experiment 2

Experiment 4A

Jamming

Pulse sensor and

Elephant trunk arm

transformable designs

Experiment 1B

Application to the body

Next steps

Play-Space as a Research Tool

Hacking everyday Data Visualisation passive movements

The Observer

Experiment 3B

1A DISCOMFORT: BODY AND PHYSICAL CONSTRAINS

Counterweight Roommate (2011), Alex Schweder La and Ward Shelley

How the body negotiates physical constraints, adapts into new complicities with inanimate objects / another being?

Create new links between body parts and / other bodies / external structures

Rope Dance (2015), Janine Antoni, Anna Halprin, Stephen Petronio

Recreate movements Confront the limitation of its mechanics Find comsplicities with another person through tactile feedback

Improvisation Technologies (1999), William Forsythe

Connecting the body with ropes

ITERATION #1

Person #1 Leg - Structure - Person #2 Leg

ITERATION #2

Person #1 Leg - Person #2 Arm Person #1 Arm - Person #2 Leg

ITERATION #3

Leg - Neck - Leg

ITERATION #4

Arm - Structure - Leg

Your limb is my limb

Shared reflexes

Remapping the body

Adaptability of different bodies

Person #1 Leg - Structure - Person #2 Leg

Person #1 Leg - Person #2 Arm Person #1 Arm - Person #2 Leg

Leg - Neck - Leg

Arm - Structure - Leg

https://vimeo.com/266392854

1B COLLECTED DATA: DATA VISUALISATIONS WITH UNITY3D

Using previously collected EEG values

EEG Headset: Top Elevation

Text File of Collected EEG Data

Importing and translating the numerical values in Unity3D

Digital Visualisation (Unity 3D)

2 AFFECTIVE SYSTEMS: FEEDBACK BETWEEN MECHANICAL AND BIOSENSING SYSTEMS

Position 1

Position 2

Servo Angle: 00

Servo Angle: 100

Pulse Room (2006), Rafael Lozano-Hemmer

Servo Angle: 150

Biofeedback Loop | Translating BioData

HR < 90 BPM

Kinetic Art | Translating movements

HR 90-110 BPM

Pulse Sensor

HR > 110 BPM

Transformable Design

Position 0

Connected (2011), Reuben Margolin Body

Iris Mechanism | Scaling movements

Transformable Design (2013), Ani Liu

Pulse Sensor

Arduino

Servo

Diagram of rope configurations according to body movement and heart rate (HR)

Constructed a kinetic rope installation with an iris mechanism and connected its movement to a heart pulse sensor

Designing the iris mechanism

Diagrams of iris mechanism

Prototype #1

Prototype #2

0 1 2

5

10

20 cm

0 1 2

5

10

20 cm

Exploded isometrics of iris mechanism prototypes

01 2

5

10

20 cm

Isometrics of iris mechanism prototypes

3A MATERIALITY: INTERFACING WITH THE BODY

Jamming as materiality that interfaces with the body Manipulating softness / stiffness by sheet jamming

“JB1.0: Jamming Bodies” (2015), Lucy McRae, Skylar Tibbits and MIT’s Self-Assembly Lab

JamSheets (2014), MIT Media Lab Tangible Media

Jamming experiments

Initial Stiffness

Shaping

Jammed

Released

1.

Material / Stuffing

2.

0.18mm PVC / 2mm Foam

3.

Plastic Sheet / 2mm Foam

4.

Plastic Sheet / Styrofoam balls

https://vimeo.com/266395512

5.

Plastic Sheets / Foam + Metal balls

Plastic Sheet / Coffee Powder

Elephant trunk arm

b

b

a

a

c

a pull

c a pull b pull

b pull c pull

Photo of physical model

0 1 2

Isometric of elephant trunk prototype

5

10 cm

Diagram of elephant trunkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s movements

c pull

Elephant trunk mechanism as a movement control device for the arms

Diagram of movement configurations

Photos of physical model Isometric of the mechanism

3B REAL-TIME DATA: EEG RECORDINGS AND VISUALISATIONS WITH PROCESSING

Recording of EEG real-time data through MindYour OSCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s software

EEG Headset: Top Elevation

Mind Your OSC interface

OSC communication of Mind Your OSC with Processing Translating the numerical values in Processing

Excitement

Engagement

Frustration Digital Visualisation (Processing)

Meditation / Boredom

Biosensing experiments with the EEG headset

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Engagement

Excitement

Frustration

Meditation / Boredom

Filmed and recorded an exercise twice : Similar brain wave data across all emotions

Repeated tasks from our first body experiment : Interesting to see brain wave data to complement our qualitative analysis Eyes closed, accomplishing tasks : ‘Frustration’ changes according to difficulty of tasks

Constrained by ropes, accomplishing tasks : ‘Engagement’ peaks and dips with every attempt

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Excitement

Engagement

Frustration

Meditation / Boredom

Unexpected touch : jump in ‘Excitement’ : ‘Engagement’ grows

Eyes closed, sitting : ‘Excitement’ decreases

https://vimeo.com/266462826

4A PLAY: HACKING EVERYDAY SPACES INTO INTERACTIVE PLAY-SPACES

Transform everyday spaces into a ‘playground’ Passive activities (e.g. climbing stairs) made active and more deliberate.

‘Hack’ - hacking the physical space and the movements of the users.

Mind your step (2018), Alexandra Niaka, Isabella Ong, Marianna Chrapana

Ludic Architecture / Architecture of play Context of play as motivation to get people to explore their bodily movements / configurations Universal language of play - participatory nature

Proposal for UN playground (1952), Isamu Noguchi

Spatial elements of play: undulating grounds balance

On Space Time Foam (2013), Tomas Saraceno

Pose Work for Plinths I (1971), Bruce McLean

Active relationship between body and plinths Constant negotiating with the physical Manoeuvres into various configurations

Biocleave House (2008), Arakawa + Gins

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Inter-active laboratory of everyday lifeâ&#x20AC;? (Arakawa and Gins, 2008) Keep people on guard, and in a tentative relationship with their surroundings Made to use their bodies in unexpected ways Go about their daily routines with heightened awareness

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mind your stepâ&#x20AC;?

rotating arm

moving platform

Act of climbing stairs has become so habitual Time-based obstacle that would make people actively aware of their movements Hacked a flight of stairs - installing moving platforms to avoid Each step becomes a deliberate motion - predict and time their next step

Mind your step (2018), Alexandra Niaka, Isabella Ong, Marianna Chrapana

pivot axis

Mind your step (2018), Alexandra Niaka, Isabella Ong, Marianna Chrapana

https://vimeo.com/266394447

Movement Diagrams

Right elevation

Top elevation

Details

012

5

10

20 cm

Right elevation (detail)

t0 Platformsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; movements

t1

t2

Diagram of platformâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s movements 0

0.5

1

2 m

Stairs front elevation

“Don’t be a couch potato”

Hack the passive activity of an audience . Made the auditorium seats into a remote control and screened an ‘unwatchable’ movie . Distorting the movie, adding coloured filters, spinning the frames, speeding up / slowing down, inverting the colours . Users have to work together and use their bodies to activate buttons to make the movie ‘watchable’ . Audience has to ‘work’ for the movie

Don’t be a couch potato (2018), Alexandra Niaka, Isabella Ong, Marianna Chrapana

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be a couch potato (2018), Alexandra Niaka, Isabella Ong, Marianna Chrapana

https://vimeo.com/266292600

Circuit diagrams

Spin Off Slow Down ASCII On Rotate Blue On Blue Off ASCII Off ground tapes foil button

Blue On Speed Up Blue Off

screen

Rotate Green On ASCII Off ASCII On Invert Colour Green Off Blue Off Red Off Speed Up Rotate

Axonometric of the circuit (ground tapes - foil buttons)

Using the body to close the electric circuit, thus activating the button

Interaction diagram

blue off

blue on/rotate

green on

red on/spin off

Movement - button activation through different time sections

red off

no action Screen recordings

Drawings

0

0.5

1

2 m

Auditorium front elevation

0

0.5

1

2 m

Auditorium top elevation

NEXT STEPS

Observer AR glasses

EEG data visualisation

EEG headset

Player

Diagram of observerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s augmented space

. Combining physical space with neuro data Continue play-space projects as an investigation of the affective feedback system between body and space by outfitting the physical space with biosensing technology Concept/Interaction diagram

. Introducing the role of Observer Acknowledge the subjectivity of the observer Sees both the physical space and the digital environment, and has control over the behaviour of the play rules

Diagrams of how the observer affects the player - space interaction Virtual Overlay 28

Player

Observer

Physical Play-Space The case of ‘Don’t be a couch potato observer

observer’s action

observer’s action

buttons ground screen player t0

player’s action t1

player’s action: connection of buttons with ground

player’s action t2

observer’s action: change of buttons function

t3

player’s action t4

t5

Time frames of observer and player actions

APPENDIX

OpenFrameworks code for ‘Don’t be a couch potato’

Unity3D code for digital visualisation of collected EEG Data

BIBLIOGRAPHY Alex Schweder and Ward Shelly (2011). Counterweight Roommate [Installation]. Ward Shelly [online].

Rafael Lozano-Hemmer (2006). Pulse Room [Installation]. Rafael Lozano-Hemmer [online].

Available at: http://www.wardshelley.com/counterweight/Tall-Counterweight.jpg [Accessed 24 Apr.

Available at: http://www.lozano-hemmer.com/pulse_room.php [Accessed 24 Apr. 2018].

2018].

Reuben Margolin (2011). Connected [Installation]. Reuben Margolin [online].

Ani Liu (2011). Transformable Design [Models]. Ani Liu [online]. Available at: http://aniliu.

Available at: https://www.reubenmargolin.com/waves/connected [Accessed 24 Apr. 2018].

com/transformable-design-1 [Accessed 24 Apr. 2018].

Tomás Saraceno (2013). On Space Time Foam [Installation]. Tomás Saraceno [online].

Arakawa and Gins (2008). Biocleave House (Lifespan Extending Villa). Reversible Destiny Foundation

Available at: http://tomassaraceno.com/projects/on-space-time-foam [Accessed 24 Apr. 2018].

[online]. Available at: http://www.reversibledestiny.org/architecture/bioscleave-house-lifespanextending-villa [Accessed 24 Apr. 2018].

William Forsythe (1999). Improvisation Technologies A Tool for the Analytical Dance Eye [Video].

Available at: http://www.niea.unsw.edu.au/research/publications/improvisation-technologies-tool-ana-

Bruce McLean (1971). Pose Work for Plinths I [Photographs]. Tate[online]. Available at: http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/mclean-pose-work-for-plinths-i-t03273 [Accessed 24 Apr. 2018].

Isamu Noguchi (1952). Proposal for UN playground [Archival Image]. Isamu Noguchi: A Study of Space.

Janine Antoni, Anna Halprin, Stephen Petronio (2015). Rope Dance [Dance]. Janine Antoni [online].

Available at: http://www.janineantoni.net/rope-dance [Accessed 24 Apr. 2018].

Jifei Ou, Lining Yao, Daniel Tauber, Juergen Steimle, Ryuma Niiyama and Hiroshi Ishii (2014). jamSheets [Material Research]. MIT Media Lab Tangible Media Group [online].

Available at: https://tangible.media.mit.edu/project/jamsheets [Accessed 24 Apr. 2018].

Lucy McRae, Skylar Tibbits and MIT’s Self-Assembly Lab (2015). “JB1.0: Jamming Bodies” [Video].

Available at: https://vimeo.com/152903249 [Accessed 24 Apr. 2018].

lytical-danceeye [Accessed 24 Apr. 2018].