Tangible User Interfaces - Fall 2011

Group:

David Heinzerling

Carlos Sandoval

Project

We propose the creation of an installation that will be mapping social interaction. We will be using social interaction as an input parameter to generate swarm behavior simulations. Swarm behavior is the collective motion of a large number of self-propelled entities; it is an emergent behavior arising from simple rules that are followed by individuals and does not involve any central coordination.

Swarm behavior was first simulated on a computer in 1986 with the simulation program “boids”. This program simulates simple agents that are allowed to move according to a set of basic rules. The model was originally designed to mimic the flocking behavior of birds.

The simplest mathematical models of animal swarms generally represent individual animals as following three rules:

1. Move in the same direction as your neighbors

2. Remain close to your neighbors

3. Avoid collisions with your neighbors

The system will be using motion and light sensors to create a map of the social formations taking place within the installation's area. These mappings will control the number of agents in the system: i.e. the more people in the area, the bigger the swarm is going to be.

Recent studies of starling flocks have shown that each bird modifies its position, relative to the six or seven animals directly surrounding it, no matter how close or how far away those animals are. Interactions between flocking starlings are thus based on a topological rule rather than a metric rule. In our installation, we will be controlling the system's development locally, rather than globally. Force and motion sensors will act as focal agents that influence the local development of the system.

The resulting 2d swarm behavior simulation (created with processing) will be projected onto the floor of the room. The projection will be a virtual simulation of the social interactions in the area, creating an instant visual feedback to the subjects around the area.

At the same time, the installation will be exploring the implications of social interactions in the environment. The 3d aspect of the installation will involve lights and fans that provide a physical representation of the input and output data streams. For example, social energy will be quantified and displayed using variable brightness/variable color lighting within a grid on the ceiling and/or walls. Fan speed will induce physical flows represented with paper streamers as a visualization of responses to the flocking agents.