Collaboration Work
Zibo Chen
Tian Liang
"Road Rage" refers to aggressive or violent behavior by a driver, often triggered by the stress, frustration, or anger of being in traffic or dealing with perceived poor driving by others. This behavior can include verbal insults, rude gestures, reckless driving, tailgating, and in extreme cases, physical confrontation or damage to property. Road rage can pose significant dangers to both the person exhibiting the behavior and others on the road.
Road rage has a negative impact on our lives and the lives of others, and it is important to raise awareness of the devastating consequences of this phenomenon and the importance of dissipating negative emotions.
Mecha Effect
When people are protected by armor, they often develop a false sense of security. In this case, the car acts as the armor. While driving, people tend to believe they can go faster and farther, even assuming that the vehicle's shell is more robust than it actually is. We often feel as though we are the most powerful presence on the road.
EXPERIMENT & SKETCH
MECHA
A common mecha styling reference in Mecha Effect
THE CLAY
I tried to show the shape of mecha in the form of clay, but clay could not show the contraction and extension of mecha
MAKING PROCESS
ORIGAMI
The effect of folding paper is similar to that of mecha. Moreover, paper, which is a material with strong ductility, is suitable for showing the two states of mecha: hard and damaged
While a car’s exterior offers some protection, during road rage, even the strongest shell can’t fully safeguard its occupants. The interactive wearable device reflects the contagious emotions of road rage. Inspired by mecha, the body contracts to show varying rigidity, with a helmet-like headpiece featuring a webcam for real-time data capture.
DATA FLOW & CODING
Through the camera to identify the audience’s expression, through faceOSC and Processing to analyze whether it is an angry expression, once identified, the signal will be passed to the air pump, the air pump begin to work
INTERACTION FLOW
When the camera detects an angry expression, the body device activates. A mechanical system, controlled by an air pump, begins to break down, visually transitioning from rigidity to softness. This symbolizes the protective armor gradually weakening in response to your anger. The transformation is synchronized with a pulsating light, creating a harmonious reaction to the detected emotion.
This project demonstrates the contagious nature of Road Rage and the great danger posed by the Mecha Effect, and is designed to be experienced by the audience through an interactive installation. When the camera recognized the expression of anger, the device on the body begins to operate, and the mech with air pump control begins to be destroyed, visually changing from hard to soft and operating together with the breathing light.
