The focus of this project was to highlight the correlation between increased human activity + pollution using a metaphorical representation of how over-population in cities impacts the environment.
25/11/2018
Self Directed
Planet Earth
Interaction design, computer vision + immersive technology
Javascript, html, css
A camera captures the number of people in view which is then translated into an interactive animation that changes in vibrancy + energy depending on the number of people engaging with the installation. The graphics that form the visuals represent toxic particles generated by humans: Sulphur Dioxide, Nitrous Oxide, Carbon Monoxide + Methane.
When there are many people in view of the camera, the animation transforms into a kinetic burst of colours + shapes, when zero people are in view, the animation lessens. Every year approximately 4.6 million people die from air pollution. When the fumes + toxic gases cannot be seen it is easy to ignore the effect our lifestyle choices are having. My aim in creating this project was to provide a poignant visual depiction of this.
Below are 2 links that allow you to view the project in order to see the use of tracking.js + javascript. Both links use computer vision to detect human faces. The first simply alerts human presence, whilst the second uses the same code to initiate a particle animation that symbolises the 4 toxic chemicals that are a bi-product of overpopulation in cities. The more people detected the more particles are displayed.
Without Animation With Animation
Throughout the process I experimented with multiple animations, here are a few of my favourites. These work by the user inputting a value that changes the animation depending on the number submitted. I have also included the particle animation shown above used for the compute vision experiment so you can see how it would look when multiple people are engaging with the software.