P.0.Y.
Year
2021
Client
The Constitute
Team
Christian Zöllner – project head
Sebastian Piatza – project head
Tom Witschel – design
Jens Beyer – tech supervision
Armin Riedel – photos
Robert Arnold – video
Sebastian Piatza – project head
Tom Witschel – design
Jens Beyer – tech supervision
Armin Riedel – photos
Robert Arnold – video
With the participatory and interactive Installation Point of You we present a deep exploration in disembodied experiences, empathic behaviour and shared senses. The work consists of four data masks, each equipped with a VR Headset and a wireless connected camera eye placed in the forehead region of the masks. The wearing person sees its surrounding world through with the VR goggles through the camera eye.
The camera Eyes can be taken out of the masks and held in the hands. This creates the feeling of holding the own eye in hand. By exploring this new sensual and physical relation users gain a new perspective, a new point of view of their individual position. They can let their eyes wander and watch themselves by pointing their eye toward their own body.
The camera Eyes can be taken out of the masks and held in the hands. This creates the feeling of holding the own eye in hand. By exploring this new sensual and physical relation users gain a new perspective, a new point of view of their individual position. They can let their eyes wander and watch themselves by pointing their eye toward their own body.
Point of You is not just a single user experience. It lives by exploring the world together as a group. Therefore the participants do not just have their own eye, but the eye of someone else in the group in their hand. This creates a shared sensual space that needs empathic behaviors, slow movements, and a lot of communication. By this, the group of visual and collective explorers creates a social sculpture drifting through public spaces. Point of you is not a gallery piece. It has to be in public places, out in the streets.
Design Process
For the project, we combined algorithmic design tools and additive manufacturing. All four helmets share the same formal parameters but differ in their constellation from each other. One is wavier, another has more holes. Still, they act and appear as a family. With the tool grasshopper, we design the surfaces that we prototyped as small-scale models and early visualizations. As soon as we had decided on one final shape we 3D printed a 1:1 model. Thanks to the node-design-wizard Tom Witschel! Most of the technological interiors have been supervised and installed by Jens Beyer. Within this team, all masks have been designed, printed, and set up for use. To communicate the project early to partners and festivals, we created promotional key visuals.
How it works
The camera eyes consist of a modular 3D-printed shell and a high-frequency radio module to transmit the captured video without latency to the VR headset in the masks. To pair camera eyes and data masks, all eyes have different iris glasses installed. Due to the wireless connection, they are equipped with a rechargeable battery.
Also, the included tech parts in the masks are battery-driven. We focused on the most lightweight and durable solution to offer the users the best experience. The data masks consist of a battery pack and a stand-alone VR headset. The whole system is attached to an adjustable headband that connects the tech parts to the 3D printed outer shell.
The whole design process has been exhibited at the NEW NOW festival at Zeche Zollverein in Essen / Germany. It has been 25 prototypes in various sizes on display, showing the range and diversity of the parametric and algorithmic design process.
Also, the included tech parts in the masks are battery-driven. We focused on the most lightweight and durable solution to offer the users the best experience. The data masks consist of a battery pack and a stand-alone VR headset. The whole system is attached to an adjustable headband that connects the tech parts to the 3D printed outer shell.
The whole design process has been exhibited at the NEW NOW festival at Zeche Zollverein in Essen / Germany. It has been 25 prototypes in various sizes on display, showing the range and diversity of the parametric and algorithmic design process.
