in an attempt to reimagine the concept of personal space in post-pandemic cities, handson introduces a digital interactive installation as a public art piece. the project draws from the practice of social distancing and tracks five real-time pieces of information. first, the physical distance between people, then the speed users are moving in interactive space, and third, the size of personal space changing when more persons enter. then the time they spent nearby, and last, the number of people being in close contact.
social distancing circle markers in new york
all images courtesy of handson & adam magyar
when a person enters the interactive area, one sees only a surrounding circle that tracks the speed of movement. when a second and third user enters, a line connects all of them, creating a network that monitors their physical distance. as they move closer towards one other, their circles merge, revealing an algorithmic pattern based on the time spent together in a close space. this algorithm changes as more people come together and makes it visually more exciting and animating. ‘we are a network of strangers moving in such close proximity that occasionally it becomes a dehumanized experience. we find ourselves detached from the present state of where we are amongst the human swarm,’ handson adds.
dynamic patterns are generated based on close proximity
building the setup hardware needs to hack the PS3 eye camera and insert a floppy disk tracking infrared light. the schematic attaches the projector mount and camera, and start tracing people on a city’s public street. ‘this installation examines how our mental barriers are fluid, adaptable, and eventually meant to be broken, such that our sense of space is widened through the interaction with others,’ the designer mentions.
dynamic patterns are generated based on close proximity
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our sense of personal space is fluid and meant to be broken, to achieve a wider sense of space with another stranger
breakdown of the data tracking during the interactive experience
project info:
name: space
designer: handson
designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.
edited by: christina petridou | designboom
