adidas commissions designer to create display case with a brain to track consumers faces

adidas has commissioned technologist and creative designer behnaz farahi to create an emotive display case designed to showcase concept shoes. dubbed ‘mesolite’, the project explores how facial expression tracking technology can be used to promote social interaction in retail experiences.

images courtesy of bahnaz farahi

farahi has designed mesolite to engage viewers by tracking their facial expressions and responding through a series of tubular LED lights, seemingly coming alive and developing a character of its own. in dream mode the LED lights maintain a white glimmering effect until a face is detected. once detected a red light ripples across the display unit evolving into rapid flashes if it can detect a happy expression. if a customer reacts with a shocked expression, the lights will emit red in a breath-like motion. at the centre of the display unit, a space is reserved for a product, in this case a concept shoe.

the movements of the shoe contained within the unit is also dictated by the customers expressions. when someone is detected the shoe will rotate revealing its upper surface whilst expressions of happiness command a rapid rotation both clockwise and counterclockwise.

the display units functions are dictated by a computing system integrated in the display case which includes a central brain and four micro-controllers which receive information. the brain processes data, at approximately 30 times a second, driving the motor and LEDs to react accordingly.