Beat The Living F*ck Out Of Cancer
Thijs Biersteker
Article link: https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/53wknb/beat-the-living-fk-out-of-cancer-with-a-light-up-punching-bag
This interactive artwork helps to bring awareness to cancer within an individual’s health risks, while also help raise funds for cancer research. Participants first enter their details to generate a cancer-risk profile. The participant then steps into the ring with their gear on, which triggers the motion sensor to start the game. A portion of the punching bag will light up and the light will grow, representing the cancer cells that are growing. The participant then have to punch it to kill the cell, pretty much like what the title of the artwork. The difficulty of the game will be based on the profile of each individual. So this not only help participants to start becoming active, it also help them be aware of their risk of cancer.
The artist felt that, we are usually helpless in situations when we learn that a family or friend got cancer. By creating this artwork, the artist allowed the ‘bystanders’ to have an active role in fighting cancer — literally. Other than that, each punch donates an amount to cancer research.
In collaboration with Fight Cancer, a Dutch NGO that empowers people to start their own ways of fund raising for cancer research.
The artist used a punching bag as it has a form that can easily be connected to fighting. It is also stable and allow participants to constantly focus on a target. The punching bag is laced with strong punchable LEDs that are able to display an array of colours, which is useful in representing different cancer cells. Many sensors are installed inside the punching bag. The accelerometer records the power of the punch, the gyroscope records the angle, the impact sensors records the intensity and location of the punch. All these come together to create a punching bag that displays light at specific locations and receive feedback accurately.
This website explains the artwork: http://www.interactivepunchbag.com/splash
What I like about this artwork is that it explain a concept really well while also ensuring a completely interactive experience. Its interface is intuitive and the elements involved (LEDs, impact sensors, projections, etc) creates an immersive experience. Participants also can understand the message easily while being super involved in the participation that allow them to have a personalised experience that they can bring home to. Overall, I really love it due to how everything really falls into place. It is a really well-thought project indeed!
Some other interesting works that you can read on:
- https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/4xqjaq/drum-machine-hillary-debate-speeches
- https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/yp5wzv/facial-recognition-sees-you-as-a-pattern-not-a-person
- http://www.chrisoshea.org/out-of-bounds
- https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/4xqn8n/an-led-storm-cloud-is-turning-sound-into-electricity
- https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/pgq3k9/artists-visualize-then-solve-the-population-crisis