SILENT SCENE
Keywords: Playfulness, Communication, Experience, Novelty Item, Peeping Tom, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)
Publication: Lee, C.H, Lockton, D and Kim, J.E. (2018). "Exploring Cognitive Playfulness Through Zero Interactions", ACM SIGCHI Conference on Designing Interactive Systems (DIS 2018), Hong Kong. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1145/3197391.3205413 [PDF Download]
Publication: Lee, C.H, Lockton, D and Kim, J.E. (2018). "Exploring Cognitive Playfulness Through Zero Interactions", ACM SIGCHI Conference on Designing Interactive Systems (DIS 2018), Hong Kong. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1145/3197391.3205413 [PDF Download]
The aim of this project was to tangibly study and discover reasons behind a cognitively playful experience that would occur without any direct interactions. It attempted to demonstrate this cognitive state or experience by creating a novel machine that offers zero interaction, but can generate a playful phenomenon or cognitive atmosphere / engagement.
While many playful experiences may come from different forms of physical, social and sensory interactions (e.g., chatting, viewing, exploring, listening, learning and touching), this unusual machine, or device, does not offer any interactions to anyone. It is a stationary device that appears to do nothing. However, when there are no humans, no sound, no motion and no light within the environment, it secretly starts to create beams and rays of stunning colours. Unfortunately, no human can ever see this wonderful scene, as the device will not function if anyone is near it, which, for me and some people, is a kind of playful experience.
If there is a way to make someone feel playful without any interactive engagements, where and how can we employ this phenomenon to improve users’ experience? What are the components that drive this type of playfulness? While the Silent Scene project is limited in scope, and intended primarily as a provocation, the next steps for future development of this theme may entail further exploration on different scenarios regarding how to shape and control these elements of cognitive play for potential user experiences.
This clip was filmed after removing some of the sensors (sound and motion) as I would not have been able to film this display if those senses had remained in operation.
This clip was filmed after removing some of the sensors (sound and motion) as I would not have been able to film this display if those senses had remained in operation.
ATmega328 AVR, light head, motion sensor, photoresistor, sound sensor, bolts and nuts, acrylic panel, stepper and driver, and few circuits were used to build this device.