Michael Lawrie
Michael is an artist and software developer living in Toronto, Canada. Here you can check out his latest work, from installations to web apps.
Salute the Brave, Reckless Gods in Another
Salute the Brave, Reckless Gods in Another is an interactive, multi-site networked installation. It explores the awkward moment when one meets the gaze of a stranger on the street or in some other public space.
Two people - one at each location - are invited to look one another in the eye over the network. At both points a camera, directly embedded within a video screen, captures one's image and transmits it to the other point where it is displayed. There is complete reciprocity - to look at the screen is to make eye contact. Face tracking software is employed to isolate the eyes of each participant. The tight cropping feed basically eliminates hand and body gestures. There is no sound. Is it possible to communicate with the eyes only?
Video is captured by a high-definition camera in real-time by a computer hidden behind the screen. It is important that the video be sufficiently high resolution, as subsequent steps significantly reduce it. Based on the position and geometry of the participant's face, the software crops the captured image so that only the eyes remain.
The exclusion of sound from the installation creates some interesting interactions. Interacting with a stranger immediately draws attention to the fact that one cannot communicate normally with this individual. While it is possible to communicate via blinking one's eyes or other gestures, it is extraordinarily difficult to do so when no such protocol has been arranged in advance. Participants instead develop rudimentary communication techniques collaboratively. One individual will often mimic the other. Mimicry delivers the most basic message, "I see you, do you see me?"
The installation existed for one day at Ryerson University and OCAD. We've considered operating the installation for an extended period, but the technological requirements and difficulty in finding two suitable but somewhat distant locations has so far prevented that from happening.
The software for the installation was written atop Processing, OpenCV and Libvlc.
April, 2009