Pygmachia

Interactive athletic experience | 2016

Generative storytelling, Interactive Installation

Pygmachia is an interactive experience where users interact with two custom boxing gloves. The virtual environment displays an interactive light design on a large screen. Through a gamification approach, users are invited to hit the virtual objects that are shown on the screen.

Why we did it?

The main inspiration comes from creating a visual metaphor of the sport and its positive impact. The search of the elegance of the athletic movement, understood as a balance between the body and the mind, places man at the center of a metaphysical space, where its heart has to face it with loyalty, sacrifice, determination and sharing values. The challenge to overcome the physical limits of the body allows the athlete to improve while realizing that the enemy, being the best ally, gives knowledge to find a relational balance to the other.

How we did it?

The project was developed by using a computer vision algorithm that detect in real-time the body gesture of the users. The custom hardware inside the two boxing gloves send a wireless signal based on the OSC protocol to generate a visual feedback of the movements. The installation is designed in order to create a gamification based experience where light, image and sound improve user engagement.

Physical Experience Design

The experience combines a multilevel of interaction steps. The first stage of the setup introduces the user to the physical space and gear where it has to wear the gloves. Afterwards, the visual environment, the computer vision algorithm, sound and light design are built specifically to enhance the engagement.

Interactive Light Design 

8 RGB Light stripes are connected to the output of a DMX decoder connected to an ENTTEC card that sends signals to the Network LAN by a Router.

Via the Newtowork, the custom software connected to the ENTTEC card sends DMX signals to the Leds.

Interactive Light Design 

8 RGB Light stripes are connected to the output of a DMX decoder connected to an ENTTEC card that sends signals to the Network LAN by a Router.

Via the Newtowork, the custom software connected to the ENTTEC card sends DMX signals to the Leds.

Immersive Space

The space was design to simulate an interactive ring very similar to a real boxing ring.

Tech Rider

The setup of Pygmachia consists of a series of new technologies mostly based on custom hardware and software development. The project was very challenging as we mixed several DIY approach by using a gyroscope and accelerometer inside the boxing gloves to broadcast OSC messages to the server application and the DMX light controller over LAN. The DMX decoder was used to create an interactive light visualization according to the game experience. The LAN client application received as inputs the computer vision sensor signals. Therefore the creation of the generative design was achieved to display the final visuals.

Team

Roberto Fazio 

Interactive Creative Director

 

Daiana Salucci 

Creative Producer

 

Michel Collina

Developer

 

Jacopo Rosano

Designer

 

Riccardo Bazzoni

Sound Designer

 

Matteo Parenti

Digital Technician

 

Andrea Baldassarre

Digital Technician

Credits

Fuse*

Exhibit

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