Sunken Ripples: Playful Interaction in an Underwater World

We recently completed two showings of the Sunken Ripples Interactive Experience, where a spherical display acts as a portal to an underwater world. During Sunken Ripples, audience members can interact with the sphere to control the jellyfish creatures on the IMAX screen. Small interactions on the sphere ripple out into huge proportions in this playful installation.

#GUArtHack: Rapid Prototyping of Digital Interactive Art for Public Spaces

The installation site was a dimly lit walkway set just below a busy pedestrianised street.

The installation site was a dimly lit walkway set just below a busy pedestrianised street.

In November, Julie Williamson (University of Glasgow) and Audrey O’Brien (Visual Artist) ran a workshop two-day workshop to explore ideas and concepts for a digital art installation for public spaces.  The goal was to create and design with concepts such as playfulness, performative interactions, surveillance, touch, and lighting.  The only requirement placed on workshop participants was to create a working prototype together during the two-day event.  At the end of the workshop, the participants exhibited the final prototype in a pop-up exhibition on the University of Glasgow campus.

The participants developed the concept and prototyped the installation over the two-day workshop.

The participants developed the concept and prototyped the installation over the two-day workshop.

Over two days, this micro-residency brought together artists, designers and computing scientists from a wide variety of backgrounds.  The workshop began with an exploration of the installation site.   The installation was staged in a dark space beneath one of the University building, positioned below a busy pedestrianised walkway.  The final product was composed of six touch sensitive pendulums arranged around a spherical display.  Touching the pendulums produced music, with each pendulum creating different visualisations on the sphere. The video below showcases the final installation from the pop-up exhibit.

The installation involved a spherical display surrounded by touch sensitive pendulums.  Touching the pendulums made music and flowing graphics from the sphere.

The installation involved a spherical display surrounded by touch sensitive pendulums. Touching the pendulums made music and flowing graphics from the sphere.

SIPS Workshop #1 from daniel sunden on Vimeo.

Sunken Ripples: A New Interactive Experience

What an exciting time to play with technology and interactive experiences.  We are delighted to be contributing to the Glasgow Film Festival with Sunken Ripples, an experimental interactive installation.  This work is part of the EPSRC SIPS project in collaboration with Pufferfish Ltd.

25th of February, showings at 18:00 and 19:30, Glasgow IMAX

SunkenRipplesCome experience the exciting cutting edge technology of an interactive spherical display as part of a new kind audiovisual performance. For the first time ever, a spherical display will be joined with the IMAX screen to create an immersive and playful experience in an underwater landscape. Join us in the world of Sunken Ripples, where interaction and touch on the spherical display ripple into huge proportions.

This event is brought to you by the University of Glasgow Public and Performative Interaction Group.

Tickets are available for FREE at the IMAX from 16:00 on the day of the performance.

pufferfish

SIPS-LOGO-Imax-Experience