IxD Exhibit @ Andrew Liveris forecourt 2024

"Antennae U" reinvents human communication by integrating the non-verbal, instinctive communication methods of insects into our daily interactions. This unique project utilises wearable gadgets that emulate insect antennae, allowing users to experience a language-free, intuitive connection with others. Our vision of "The Future Everyday: Novel Interactions," envisions a world where technology enhances natural social behaviours and is seamlessly woven into the fabric of our daily lives. Through intuitive physical inputs like the touch of a stress ball, users can manipulate these antennae, fostering a fresh and exploratory form of socialisation that deepens and enriches human connections. Experience a new communication way where technology and instinct combine to create more meaningful and playful interactions.

Step into the future of connection with DuoLink. DuoLink is an innovative installation designed to enable users in two separate locations to connect and physically interact with each other via robotic arms. By combining robotics, tangible interactions, and telepresence technology, DuoLink aim to create a unique interactive experience that allows users to interact as if they were physically together, despite the distance.

Hermit Track is a chaotic, fun obstacle race. Compete with your friends to become the Scuttle Champion! Equipped with a toolkit of shovels, buckets and sand, two participants must race their robotic crab against each other to the finish line. Avoid obstacles, guide your crab and sabotage your opponents.

"Tales of the Stone" combines traditional mythology with modern technology, creating an interactive fortune-telling experience. Our design, inspired by ancient Chinese divination practices, features magical setups and sensory interactions. Participants engage with three stones and eight panels, each symbolising water ripples through light strips to enhance visual appeal and symbolise reflection and fluidity. Users start their journey by holding a stone and exploring various panels to simulate contemplation of their life choices. They will place stones on panels that resonate most, which reflects their personal situations. After selecting three panels, users will receive a physical answer from the central altar, offering metaphorical insights into their decisions. "Tales of the Stone" not only provides a distinct visual and reflective fortune-telling experience but also serves as an opportunity for personal exploration.

Our project designed a space that combines exploration and gamification concepts to offer users a playful and novel experience without specific quests that lead to winning or losing. Users can freely explore the physical interactions in the space by using the trident and hand lamp designed with light. These objects will allow the users to interact with the sea creatures involved in the space, such as fish and seaweed. The implemented augmented technology helps us enable a space resembling underwater beauty. Hopefully, this interactive space could enhance users' understanding of marine biodiversity and support conservation efforts through engaging and hands-on activities.

Rainbow Pixels is a physical and interactive colour play and creative 3D drawing installation targeted towards primary school students (6-12 years old). It comes in the form of a table which is covered with blocks that can light up in different colours and be arranged in various ways, providing a fun and visually stimulating experience for the users. The interactions allow users to set the colours of the blocks by scanning different colours from each other, copying and mixing colours between blocks, and pulling the blocks up and down to add contour in creating their art. The purpose of this project is to stimulate the users’ colour perception and creativity. At the same time, the activity requires teamwork, and therefore also advocates children’s cooperative learning and social interaction. It is a platform for children to freely experiment with colours and collaborate with friends in a new and physically engaging way.

Based on the popular Chromium game, our concept aims to bring the Dino Dash game from the 2D screen into our 3-Dimensional World. Using real-time heart data, our inventive take on the allows the players the chance to skip their own heartbeat in a game that incorporates physical movement. Participants can play 2 different roles with differing objectives that both involve specific physical movements, player 1 primarily jumping while player 2 practices their throwing arm.

ChessMate is an interactive sensing board that elevates the traditional game of chess by using ultrasonic sensors. The players interact by physically placing pieces and activating movements. Once four pieces align, playful animated feedback is provided instantly, increasing engagement and player involvement. The pieces accumulate in each column until four of the same colour are aligned. They then all disappear at once. ChessMate combines sensor technology with interactive elements to create a gaming experience that is engaging and satisfying. It goes beyond traditional board games!

The "Mushroom Network" is a cutting-edge, multi-person collaborative social device designed for urban citizens who are stressed and lack time to connect with nature. This innovative system features a large mushroom and several smaller ones, creating an immersive experience that helps relieve stress quickly and conveniently. As users approach and interact with the mushrooms, they are greeted with calming lights and natural sounds, creating a tranquil environment. Users can talk to the mushrooms, listen to a variety of natural sounds, and embrace them for warmth. Multiple users can collaborate to interact with the mushrooms, integrating technology with natural elements to provide a unique way for city residents to unwind and reconnect with nature.

GameForest is an exciting platform designed for school-age kids to explore nature right in the city! Combining the magic of forests with cool technology, GameForest lets kids interact with a mini jungle full of trees, shrubs, rivers, and animals. Shine a flashlight to make animals move, or shout to light up fireflies and hear jungle sounds. Each discovery shows the names and fun facts about the creatures, making learning about nature fun and engaging. GameForest helps kids develop a love for the environment, encouraging them to explore and appreciate the wonders of nature.

The Zen Den reimagines the traditional Japanese Zen Garden through the integration of modern technology, creating an interactive and immersive art piece designed to foster relaxation and creativity. By incorporating sensor-enabled rake and interactive sand surface, Zen Den allows users to engage dynamically with the environment. These rakes, responsive to user gestures like tapping and raking, activate auditory and visual feedback through LED displays and sound outputs, enhancing the sensory experience. This project embodies the theme of "Interactive and playful visualizations," aiming to transform the way we engage with traditional cultural practices through modern technological enhancements. Zen Den is designed for environments where calm and creativity are cherished—ranging from wellness centers and art therapy rooms to meditation studios and private homes. By integrating traditional mindfulness practices with technology, Zen Den offers a peaceful retreat from the hustle and bustle of daily life, inviting users to explore their artistic side while experiencing deep relaxation and mental clarity.

ZenShpere is an interactive installation that aims to help participants embark on a journey to achieving relaxation through sensory deprivation and reclamation using a simulated underwater environment. We hope that after experiencing our installation, that users feel a sense of calm and a stronger connection to their senses.

This creative installation mixes music, dance, and interactive elements to create an enjoyable activity that encourages social interaction. By encouraging physical activity and music-making, the exhibit helps participants become more coordinated and have quicker reflexes. In addition to encouraging collaboration and social contact, this arrangement allows players to engage in a special kind of movement-based creative expression. The central component is a mannequin with several touch-sensitive sensors and pedal pressure sensors. Attacker and defender are the two positions that participants are split into. By contacting the mannequin’s sensors, the attacker can emit notes. Each touch also causes the defence to evade a foam stick, which adds a physical challenge and stimulating element to the game. The design integrates lighting signals to enhance user experience and direct gaming. This interactive installation offers a new way to enjoy music and cooperation via the movement, making it perfect for both private occasions and public spaces. It is the ideal fusion of art, technology, and gaming, geared towards people who are passionate about sports and are above the age of 18.

Experience the exciting fusion of art and sport with our Art Table Tennis! This revolutionary product reinvents the classic ping-pong game by integrating it with advanced technology. Players compete to recreate stunning masterpieces on a digital screen, offering a unique and engaging twist. Perfect for table tennis lovers and anyone looking for a fun, stress-relieving activity, Art Table Tennis encourages exercise and builds social connections through playful competition. Whether you're a seasoned player or a casual enthusiast, this innovative game promises endless entertainment and a creative way to stay active, making it an ideal addition to any social gathering or event.

The concept involves the creation, planting and nurturing of an artificial flower by users as a way to spread the message that any individual is capable of contributing to the wellbeing of nature. To achieve this, each step in the making of the flower was designed to be hands-on and highly responsive to imitate the needs of a real flower. Each flower also harbours connections with its user, being unique and identifiable. The goal is to bring about a feeling of accomplishment among users who have taken their small steps and have cumulatively created something impressive and beautiful. This would motivate users to see the value in their efforts, no matter how small, to help nature as every action is not only important but necessary. Hence, the ultimate aim of this concept is to incentivise users to start taking action and become part of a rewarding experience nurturing for life.

Whispers is an interactive system illustrating barriers to everyday communication through a collaborative experience. A question is posed to the user, who records their answer in a ball. This ball is then placed on a board that requires two to four users to tilt it, guiding the ball while navigating obstacles that distort the messages. Additionally, a foot pedal activates a barrier to redirect the ball, however this will also change the question. Users are tasked with passing on the messages that they hear, however this is made difficult by the sound effects that are applied when the ball hits obstacles. Designed for collaborative spaces like offices, Whispers compels users to work together to identify and avoid obstacles, highlighting the inevitability of misinterpretations and misunderstandings. This setup encourages reflection on the communication challenges, specifically gossiping, that are prevalent in todays society when words get twisted and misheard.

Targeting the senses of sight, touch, hearing and scent, RainScape is a playful, immersive experience.Users can collaborate to interact with and manipulate a simulated space, designed to reflect the relaxing ambience of a natural environment in the rain. The dark environment, soundscape and imagery immerse users in the natural environment. Playful interactions allow users to manipulate the simulation. For example, squeezing a cloud stress ball will cause rain to fall, complemented by the sound of rain and a fresh scent. Depending on how hard the user squeezes, the rain will intensify. Furthermore, a user stomping on the tiles will generate the thunder and lightning. RainScape offers a relaxing escape from the stress for workers in the bustling city. We imagine our project would be effective placed in easily-accessible, urban public spaces allowing users to experience the benefits of a natural landscape without leaving the city.

Interstellar is an exploratory, interactive planetary system designed to inspire future generations' interest in the cosmos. This project, targeted for display in a planetarium, allows users to experience the feeling of walking on different planets with varying gravitational pulls. Users can pick up rocks and place them in a physical lab, triggering information about the rock to be displayed on the screen. This project utilizes advanced technologies, including Python libraries such as MediaPipe, OpenCV, and SVM, to track and recognize users' body movements and gestures. Additionally, a Unity scene is presented to provide users with an immersive experience. A Circuit Playground Express is used to signal users when they are near a rock, and a pressure sensor is built for users to place different weight of physical rocks in a physical lab. This project integrates the digital and physical worlds, offering users a comprehensive and interactive planetary environment experience.

The "Cascade of Wishes" proposal reimagines the venerable Hong Kong tradition of the well-wishing tree, blending elements of heritage with contemporary design to create an engaging, interactive experience. This modern iteration celebrates the effort and intention behind each wish, inviting participants to actively engage in the realization of their dreams. Participants will personalize their wishes on individual placards, crafting them with care and creativity. The culmination of the experience involves a dynamic, participatory act: tossing their placards towards the tree, aiming for them to catch and hang among the branches. This act symbolises the effort required to achieve one's dreams, making the "Cascade of Wishes" a meaningful fusion of past and present, where tradition meets personal expression and collective hope.