Category: Process

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Interactive Spaces – Semester Project (Part 2 – Digital)

UNDER SCORE

Under Score is an interactive installation that challenges two players to play a game of soccer confined within the space under the table, relying only on their sense of hearing and touch. Players can hear the position of the ball through the headphones connected to a color tracking patch.

By Joan & Tiffany

Concept

Inspired by two branches of the sport – table soccer and blind soccer (played during Paralympics).

Ideation

From our previous giant hanging foosball idea, our idea evolved towards digitizing the experience to change the conventional gameplay of soccer. Instead of tracking the ball with the sense of sight, we decided to translate what we normally see into sound. This means that players rely on their sense of hearing and touch to locate the ball. The location of the ball is indicated by the pitch and directional sound from both sides of a player’s headphones.

To add on to the aesthetic element of the space, we decided to project a visualization of what they hear onto the table. It also allows non-playing viewers a glimpse of the movement going on under the table.

Spatial layout & diagram:

Materials needed:
External camera (webcam or phone cam), attachable wide-angle lens, table (with four legs at the corners and no obstructions underneath), wooden stools, large black cloth, some cardboard panels, projector, colored soccer ball

Process

MAX Patch processes:

1. Get feedback from the camera (interchangeable between computer cam and external cam)
2. Color tracking with min and max values for the color(s) picked, the range of color values can be adjusted via the ‘tolerance’ bar slider at the side
3. Extract the top left x and y coordinate values from the camera output
4. For the x coordinate, scale (1 300 18 58) and input the values to the keyboard to control the pitch via the colored ball’s x position
5. For the y coordinate, scale ( 1 220 1 158 ) and ( 1 220 158 1 ) and input these values into the left and right gains~ of the audio output respectively. This creates directional hearing based on the ball’s y position

Screenshot of our colour tracking MAX patch, tracked via camera
Screenshot of our MAX patch for the production of synthesized sounds/visuals – part 1
Screenshot of our MAX patch for the production of synthesized sounds/visuals – part 2

For the construction of the table, we bought 6 planks of wood, measured them and sawed them accordingly. We joined the planks together by hammering in nails (the hardware uncle told us to use nails and hammer), but discovered that the process could have been made easier/hastened by using a drill and screws instead.

Hammering processing to building our wooden table frame from wooden planks
Hammering processing to building our wooden table frame from wooden planks
How each table corner was joined and reinforced
Blocking two sides of the table using cardboard and covering the whole table with a layer of black cloth
Torch lights attached at each corner of the table frame to illuminate the playing area
Phone camera attached under the table, directly above the playing area. Camera signals are sent over to the laptop via wifi and DroidCam
Our colored ball in the lit up playing area
Presentation in class

 

feedback & Improvements
  1. Audiovisual feedback was fairly slow, players will have to play slowly and kick gently for the position of the ball to be updated in sync.
  2. The audio feedback was too hardcore. Perhaps the sound feedback could have less noise and smoother sounding.
  3. Lighting underneath the table could have been stronger and evenly lit, to prevent blind spots that allow the ball to hide in the dark.
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Interactive Spaces – Semester Project (Part 1 – Analog)

THE HANGOUT

The Hangout is a kampong-themed laundry area, designed to simulate a human foosball (or table football) game. Our aim is to connect people through a classic game of football, but with a twist – the constraints of being pegged to a pole. Through our setup, we hope to build social bonds between strangers and friends through physical interaction, and away from our digital devices.

By Joan & Tiffany

Concept

To introduce play using the simple household objects, and to relive the kampong spirit in the youths of today.

Ideation

With inspiration from our previous mini project (EX1 – Be part of the art), we decided on the idea of hanging people on a clothes poles and exploring the possible human interactions that could emerge within these limitations.

Since the arrangement of clothes on a pole is usually organised and occur in almost a grid-like form, we thought of several activities which the participants can engage in within these formations:

3 rows x 2 to 4 people – team based ball games, like soccer, sepak takraw, volleyball, captain’s ball

2 rows x 3 or 4 people – hanging out facing each other as a group of friends, play chapteh facing each other

We realized that these layouts resembled that of a foosball table, where plastic soccer player figures are also attached to the rods. This gave us the idea of combining the two aspects together – hanging clothes on a pole and foosball table – to actualize our concept of bringing people together through play in a simple setup.

Final Layout:

This layout allows for a team-based soccer game, where each side allows for an equal number of players (maximum 3 players + 1 goalkeeper).

Initial location in mind #1-  area between trees at the sunken plaza
Why not? – Lack of places to anchor/hang our poles from, unsuitable for wet weather, and troublesome if soccer ball goes out of bounds and falls into the water.

Initial location in mind #2 – open area at level 2
Why not? – Width of the area is a little too large compared to the length of the poles, might be dangerous for passersby if the poles swing and hit their faces

Final location – Under the staircase beside the open area at Level 2
Why? – This space allows for a more organised hanging of the poles, slightly safer and a more compact space for hangout

Process

 

Testing the feasibility and layout of the space, and finding the optimal number of shirts/players per pole
One end of the pole attached directly (and tightly) to the string
Other end of the pole clipped on, with string attached to the clip (for easy removable or addition of clothing)
Testing 1
Testing 2
Top view of our setup, marked with football field lines
Done!

 

Feedback/Areas for improvements

1. Scale
A slightly larger space would allow for more players or more movement for exciting gameplay. The poles with 3 players were also a little cramped, making it difficult for the ball to get past their defense. With the current length of our poles, the ideal number of players per pole is 2.

2. Height differences
Although our poles are leveled to a height that fits most people, there are some people who may find it uncomfortable (too short or tall). This can affect gameplay and cause the strings attached to snap. One solution is to create a pulley system or a series of adjustable knots at the ends of the poles.

3. Location
Due to the open space, the ball went out of bounds easily, making it necessary to have a referee or someone to run after the ball. Although the stairs proved to be very useful for hanging the poles, the gameplay can be improved by shifting the setup into a smaller, enclosed space where the ball is allowed to bounce off the walls (similar to a street soccer court).