Submerging Technologies
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Submerging Technologies consists of three different interactive water sculptures: the Tantalus Fountain, which withdraws when a hand comes near; the AquaHarp, which is a musical harp with strings made of water; and the TouchPond - a liquid touchscreen. All three of the pieces exploit the electro-optic properties of water to demonstrate innovative sensing techniques.
Background & Objective: Submerging Technologies was an unusual project for MERL. It began as a small demonstration of new sensing and interaction techniques. However, it quickly became apparent that these displays are a uniquely compelling mix of art and technology with wide appeal beyond the scientific community. Flowing water has long been a symbol of the tranquility of nature. The interactions afforded by our display create a sense of technology empowering us to work with nature to create beauty. Submerging Technologies was first shown at SIGGRAPH 2006, where it was enthusiastically received, and was frequently cited as the best work at this prestigious conference. Since then, we have been invited to display at numerous art shows, museums and technical conferences around the world.
Technical Discussion: All three of the pieces use the water itself as a key element of the sensing system. The Tantalus Fountain uses the water as an electrode of a capacitive proximity sensor, and modulates the pump speed to maintain a distance from an approaching hand. This works well because the laminar flow yields consistent electrical properties. The dynamics of the trapped air in the water bell allow the user to sculpt wildly flared shapes. The other two pieces depend upon the total internal reflection of light inside a waveguide. In the case of the AquaHarp, LEDs shine down the water streams, carrying the light to sensors at the bottom. Breaking or deflecting the stream breaks the optical path which triggers a music synthesizer. The TouchPond is a similar idea, except the light guide is a sheet of water. IR LEDs shine parallel to the surface, and stay contained by total internal reflection until a disruption in the surface causes some light to scatter. A camera detects this, and suitably reacting graphics are rear-projected on the underside of the pond.
Outside Collaborations: The TouchPond was created by Jeff Han at New York University based on a suggestion from MERL.
Contacts:
William Yerazunis
John Barnwell
Technology Area: Sensor and Data Systems
Modification Date: November 1, 2007
