For my undergraduate capstone project my team and I created a smart, multi-sensory theatrical installation, designed to recreate for the participant the experience of being a Pakistani woman under the male gaze.
In Pakistan theatre lighting and sound systems are operated manually. Tasks such as moving a spotlight, playing sounds upon cues and moving props and backgrounds required manpower. As an avid actor and engineering student, I was motivated to prototype a solution to this problem.
We received our inspiration from Audi.
Audi utilises their matrix laser technology to create a flexible beam by controlling LED segments that switch on and off. The beam is generated by mechanically adjusting mirrors in front of the laser diodes. The objective is to prevent light from shining on oncoming traffic. Inspired by their approach, we designed our product with multiple spotlights instead of one.
Before creating the actual installations we tested our concepts on smaller prototypes.
Kinect:
We used the earliest model of the Microsoft Xbox 360 Kinect to obtain skeletal coordinates via skeletal tracking to map a space which could then be interfaced with the LED matrix. However, the Kinect depth sensor could only track the object within the range of 4.5m at maximum which was limiting for our concept. We concluded that due to its limited range we would have to set up multiple Kinect sensors to map large spaces, which would be expensive.
Electric paint:
We also worked on producing electric paint as a sensor using charcoal. First charcoal was burnt till red hot and then watered down to cool it. After it was completely cooled and safe to touch, we selected pieces having resistance between 50 to 100 ohms. The pieces were then crushed and dissolved in water with an addition of soluble glue and black paint. However, the electric paint we made did not conduct, and we had to continue looking for other options.
Bare Conductive Electric Paint:
We employed Bare Conductive electric paint to add sound to our space. By connecting the conductive paint to the 12 electrodes on the Bare Conductive touch board, we turned the surface into a sensor. Each electrode triggered a distinct audio track.
We constructed an autonomous theatrical lighting and sound system which consisted of a matrix of adjustable LED spotlights which mapped the entire space fading in and out to create a moving light.
Along with RGB ambient lights controlled by an android mobile application, the system allowed participants the freedom to roam around the space while it tracked the exact location of the person using switches embedded into the floor. It also automated sound using a Bare Conductive Touch Board. Electric paint on the floor acted as sensors which triggered sounds upon touch and proximity. Finally, we partnered with the Communication Design faculty to create an Art Installation that showcased the system’s functionality through an immersive experience.
The design concept of the project was centred upon the relationship between food and identity through a feminist lens. The multi-sensory experiential installation aimed to engage the audience’s senses to convey the complex idea of the female experience in urban spaces of what it is like for a woman to walk up to a street hawker and buy some food.
In an attempt to reformulate the participant’s understanding of the topic, we attempted to recreate these feelings, we had a wide street that became narrow and eventually a small cupboard. Sounds were triggered and played from different directions, an image of a street hawker was projected, and smells were sprayed. The motion detecting spotlight followed the participant, as if to represent the male gaze.
The space consisted of side walls with pictures of men staring at a female photographer, the floor and the LED Spotlight Matrix.
This video below captures the entire space and demonstrates the ambient light functionality.
The entire installations consisted of 6 components.
1. Controllers
An Arduino Mega acted as the central controller which interfaced with a bluetooth module, a loading circuit and a switching circuit. A Bare Conductive Touch Board was used to play sounds upon cues.
2. Sensing Floor
Each floor board was connected to separate analog pins on the Arduino Mega. These pins acted as digital inputs which transitioned the lights. Furthermore, it also allowed multiple spotlights to shine in different location simultaneously, unlike the traditional spotlight systems. Below is a diagram we designed before constructing the floor.
Below is my partner Mubashir pasting the metal sheets on the floor board.
3. LED Spotlight Matrix
The LED spotlight matrix consisted of 14 LED spotlights enabled to move vertically with the help of L brackets and horizontally due to the circular movement of the L brackets. Each spotlight was connected to the Arduino Mega which made the light transition based on the location detected by the pressed switches.
4. Ambient Light
Multiple bunches of RGB LEDs arranged in a hexagonal pattern were soldered onto a PCB board and connected to an Arduino board enabled with bluetooth. MIT app inventor was used to design a mobile application which allowed the user to operate the ambient light and control its colour.
Below are the pictures of the space lit up in 3 different colours before the final construction.
Below is the GUI we created to control the colour of the ambient light.
5. Spotlights
Pieces of PVC pipes were used to create a mechanism to adjust the length of the scope which in turn controlled the size of the spot. The longer the scope, the smaller the size of the spot and vice versa.
6. Sound
Electric paint was used to track a participant in the space by creating capacitive touch proximity sensors. These sensors were attached to a Bare Conductive Touch Board. The board has an auxiliary output which was connected a sound system to play sounds.
Our installation was up for display and many participants experienced it. Below are some testimonials of participants talking about their experience.