Mediated Pulse (2017), Royal Danish Theatre, Corpus, CPH Stage

Mediated Pulse is intended as a platform to explore the potential of interactive audience experience. It has been used as a way to visualize the pulse of a ballet dancer for the audience in a performance at the Royal Danish Theatre (see figure 6). By attaching a wireless pulse sensor to the ballet dancer it is possible to produce a representation of the pulse in the glass heart. This is done by making the heart vibrate in sync with the heartbeat, and making a synchronised red expressive animation in the string of light to give associations of blood running through the veins. 

Technically Mediated Pulse consists of a microcontroller, battery, a vibration motor and an individually addressable ‘neopixel’ light RGB string. The wifi module in the microcontroller enables it to connect wirelessly to other inputs e.g. a pulse sensor. Furthermore, the wireless connection and battery allow the heart to be passed around in an audience context without being constrained by cables. 

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Credits: Mads Hobye, Maja Fagerberg Ranten and Nina Gram. Done in collaboration with the Royal Danish Theatre. Glass form development as a part of Dynamic Transparencies with Henrik Svarrer Larsen, Peter Kuchinke and Mads Hobye. Blown by Bjørn Friborg.