Installation Debuts at Stuart D. Paine Gallery in Boston
April 10, 2005- Proximity Lab, an experimental interaction platform and installation, makes its debut in the Stuart D. Paine Gallery in Boston this month. The exhibit opens to the public on April 27 and remains open through May 5.
The platform is an 8-foot by 16-foot walkable surface fitted with radio frequency ID (RFID) technology designed to visualize relationships between users and their interactions. Participants wear shoes fitted with RFID tags, enabling the system to track and record their positions in real-time. Images projected directly onto the floor are accompanied by stereo sound as a continuous response to the actions and interactions of participants.
The study seeks to stimulate inquiry about physical proximity, social interaction and computational mediation. Algorithmic logic, system observation of behavior, and dynamic role assignment are central concepts employed in this experiment.
The study examines the following areas interaction design:
- Natural interface - utilize natural abilities of user as foundation for core user-system interface favored over introduction of additional interface layers
- Visibility of interface - minimize to reduce experience to essential content
- Disclosure of system rules - minimize to exploit widest range of user responses
- Pluralistic interaction - exploit ability for users to observe and respond to other participants (interacting with system and each other) to create new opportunities for discovery and re-appropriation
- Human scale - exploit to elevate immersive qualities of experience both in terms of interaction and perception
Proximity Lab is final thesis project developed by Evan Karatzas as part of his Master of Fine Arts degree in Communication Design from the Dynamic Media Institute in Boston and was the inspiration for the interaction design studio of the same name.