I´m born into a house with no computer

KEYWORDS:
Mapping; Social Interactions

AIMS:
Create a device that enriches the experience of visiting a museum at the same time that allows social interactions by connecting visitors with similar experiences.

DESCRIPTION:
When visiting a museum our emotions are constantly changing. We like some artworks that we see, we don’t like others and our body responds differently according to the stimulus received/given from an artwork.
What if we could map the emotional responses of our body in relation with what we are experiencing?
Later on we can have access to that information and visualize how our emotions changed during the visit to the museum and see, for example, how our body reacted to a specific artwork that we really liked.

What if, having a device that captures our emotions and maps them, we could create a way of linking people that share similar experiences?
By being linked (visually) both visitors have something in common and that could be a good starting point for a good conversation.

USER SCENARIO:

A) Imagine that I am visiting New York alone and decided to go to a museum. Since I don’t know anyone in town I would like to meet people but it would be so much better if I meet people with similar interests (“taste”). So I have this device that I am wearing (like a bracelet that is offered by the museum when I buy the ticket ) that is mapping my emotion through the exhibition. When I cross with someone that is wearing the same device and our emotions/experience matches, both devices become visually connected (that is the first idea but I can think of a different way to show this connection). We become conscious that we have something in common and that could be a good starting point for a conversation. And we know that we have something in common but we don’t know what. And by talking we could discovered which artworks we liked and discuss about the experience and the exhibition itself. (The device triggers reflection on the exhibition)

B) I want to map my emotion through the exhibition but I don’t want to be connected to other people ?
The idea is that the device gives you the possibility of turning on or off the connect mode.
Imagining that the device is a bracelet, the way the bracelet closes in the wrist defines in which mode you want to go. Using snaps as switches and having two different configurations, the visitor could choose in which mode we want to be.

CONTEXT:
Museums, Galleries

WORK PLAN:
1. Create the system for get emotional arousal from visitors
2. Think about how to link visitors with artworks ( rfid;short radio frequency; semacode)
3. Resolve the problem for store information
4. Connect that data into processing and visualize it (ICM final project)
5. Work on the connection btw users (
6. Work on the design of the device

Today I went to Moma to see an exhibition and also to make some field study. It's was bit crowd and maybe because it was a Sunday most of the visitors were in groups: friends, family.
One of the problems that I see in this project is how to know which artwork the visitor is seeing in order to create a relation btw artwork - emotional state. My first though was in using RFID : every artwork is identified by a RFID tag and the in the device wear by the visitor there is a RFID reader. This solution has a problem: the range of RFID is to small and the visitor has to "read" the tag on which artwork.

In the visit to the museum, I noticed one interesting thing that I didn't remember before: most of the people( not all) reads the legend card that identifies every artwork. I don't know if I can interpret this as a sign that the visitor wants more information about the piece.
If in every legend card/board there is a rfid tag or an infra red that connects with the visitor devices, then the problem have a solution. I also start enjoying the idea of having the visitor manifesting his desire of being tracked by a certain artwork and not with all. The physical gesture can also be interesting in terms of interaction.

Some Photos and videos: