The setup consists of two cameras and a display which shows a mirror-like, abstract representation of the user. The system can be fed with content by putting a printed object in front of it. It will recognize the medium being consumed by the user and display digital content related to the printed information. To introduce the system, four foldable printed objects describing the four classical elements can be chosen by the user. Each print object will show a digital representation of its element when put in front of the installation, allowing hands-on interaction to experience the characteristics and behaviour of the element. The project features a highly reduced visual language to put focus on interaction as well as surround sound (meaning spatially positioned stereo sound).

The entire project was realized with openFrameworks, using OpenNI for Kinect integration, as well as the libraries ofxOpenNI, OpenCV and ofxFernCameraDemo.

Difflect was the final project of my communication design studies at the university of applied sciences, Würzburg. My supervising professors were Prof. Erich Schöls and Prof. Uli Braun.

The name “Difflect” is a combination of “to diffuse” and “to reflect”, two words that describe the idea behind the setup pretty well. The screen appears to be like a membrane filtering certain pieces of information in- and outwards which are diffusing via the screen: information about what content is being watched at the print level is perceived by the system. in return, only information relevant and connected to the current print level is sent back to the user. The print object is source of information for the user as well as the navigational element in digital space.

At the same time, the screen serves as a reflection of the real world: the user can see himself in a highly reduced version. Self-perception was a very important aspect for me as it strengthens the connection between the user and the digital content he is interacting with.

My initial plans in realizing the project were to create a printed part which equals the digital one in complexity. For my bachelor degree, I put focus on the digital side. Each of the four elements has its ownways and possibilities to interact. The respective paper sheets give a short introduction to the respective element and invite to interact.

Air lets you use the power of your hands to create your own wind phenomena and make them visible on screen. It’s the most simple way of interacting and can be seen as an introduction to the system.

Placing the earth sheet on the table lets you create and deform your own landscape. Pull up mountains or press in canyons. By rotating the sheet, you can navigate your newly created landscape. Turning the paper to the other side and back again lets you reset the object and start with a newly created, random landscape.

The fire sheet has its own fireplace in store, allowing you to turn your hand into a virtual torch and inflame your environments. Fear not: by rotating the sheet, you can access the extinguishing mode which allows you to clean up the mess.

Water is the most complex level of the project and consists of two modes you can switch by rotating the sheet. The first mode presents a water surface you can play and create waves with. You can let two waves fight each other and see how they compensate their effect.

The second mode lets you experience water molecules and how they react on temperature.  By rotating the sheet, you set the temperature and by that, the concentration of the molecules. You can go from ice to cooking water. Rotating the sheet further zooms out and takes you to the surface view again.

The setup, consisting of the Kinect, a second webcam, a construction keeping it all together, put on a tripod and placed behind the display.

Objects are build from the sums of their corresponding user’s actions within the Facebook network. Every tentacle relates to one post on the user’s wall. The more reactions a post has got (comments, likes), the stronger the movement of its tentacle will be. The color of your tentacle object will correspond to the profile picture you have. Adding your friends to Sociotope will will create a complex, vivid visualization showing the interaction between you and your Facebook contacts, with each single objects being its own information graphic sortable by time and space.

For searching objects by content and exploring your self-build information graphic for trends, you can add magnet objects which can be filled with search terms and so “scan” the objects – posts which include the term will be attracted by the magnet.

Visit the Sociotope facebook page for more information (please like).

For more screenshots and a detailled description, have a look here for now.

For promoting Sociotope, I created three posters showing the visuals and features of the project:

From the introduction:

The texts, explanations and ways of thinking collected in this book make no claim to be complete. They are not even necessarily supposed to inform, but rather to open the view, to raise awareness for the non-Apparent, for the coincidence, for the factor of “noise” in our environment, our perceptions and our actions.Human society is more and more being defined by noise. This book is supposed to illustrate the most complex and diverse facets of the phenomenon of ”noise” and the circumstances of its formation and thereby entertain, inspire and provoke.

The book has 70 pages, its format is a little smaller than A4 landscape.

The cover was produced using serigraphy; each of the two copies made has a different version: one with a black cover and white motive and one contrary.

It generates a shape representing the phonetic character of the words entered by the user. In a second step, frequency spectra are mapped onto the shape, displaying different ways the words can be pronounced depending on language and regional slang. The resulting object is generated in real-time and can be rotated and explored with an intuitive, easy-to-use interface.

Curl was my first project using Processing and can be seen as my first steps into the field of generative design.

Between 2003 and 2005 I took my first steps into the world of interactive, threedimensional environments by using the Unreal Engine 2 Level Editor. I was part of a nice and creative community, participated in several mapping contests (for example Squall was one of the finalists in the “nVidia 1 Million $ Make Something Unreal Contest”)  and worked as a level designer for the action game project Eden Eclipse.

Dm-1on1-Squall

Eden Eclipse

Dm-Passage (Unreal Engine 1)