> Motivation
> Example Movie
> Comment
> Conclusion
> Related Experiments
> Setup


Performance Photo

Screenshot

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Motivation

In and we were disturbed by the video image being that clearly perceived as a flat panel on the wall. We thought about a more objetified usage of the video image. We decided to connect 4 sensors at the hands and feet of the dancer to the corners of a quadrangle, having in mind the strength of reduced figures in puppet theatre.

 

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Example Movie

Stage View
Computer Image
In this experiment the 4 sensors are worn by one of the dancers on both hands and both feet. They stretch and form the projected square video-image. The video image is a live recording of the duet. When hands and feet are close to each other the screen appears to be small, with hands and feet wide apart the screen appears to be large.

 

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Comment

Improvising this duet was only slightly influenced by knowing the experiment's technical conditions. Both Thomas (who was wearing the sensors in the video-excerpt) and Nik had moved in this set-up alone previously, giving them some understanding of what movements would create what kind of shape and size of frame. Still they decided to improvise together without wanting to deliberately control the image. It was more interesting to see what a duet, which could be performed under any normal conditions, would turn into. Nik could notice the shapes Thomas was creating with the frame and fit himself into it or try to break out of its borders.

When watching only the right part of the video-excerpt (the projection), the picture keeps folding like the first folds of an origami. The motion of the frame is so quick it makes it often impossible to recognize what is actually happening inside the frame with the bodies.

 

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Conclusion

The hands and feet of the dancer are connected to the quadrangle. To get a visually consistent figure it would be logical for the hands and feet of the person in the video image to also touch the corners. The error in reasoning is that the dancer moves through the video image.

Visually the setup could be enhanced using any kind of smooth curved surfaces, technically implemented by so called 'spline patches'. Since the poor coupling of the human shape with the quadrangle did not persuade us, we did not follow it up.

 

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Related Experiments:

 

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Setup


 

Hardware:

  • Graphics PC with Video Capture Card
  • Projector
  • Polhemus tracking system: 4 Sensors
  • Video Camera

 

Configuration:

  • The Video Camera is facing the dancer and transmits the live video image to the graphics computer. This live video image is mapped onto a rectangular polygon, which is displayed on the projection screen.
  • The Sensors are attached to the dancer's hands and feet. The positions of the sensors are controlling the corners of the rectangular polygon.

 


Technical Setup

Spatial Setup

Technical Screenshot

Spatial Setup
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