Project #6 Experimental Camera

Description

Experimental cameras imitate the resolution, depth of field, and color range of the human eyes. The machine’s close resemblance to human biology and its claim to deliver objective reality camouflages the embedded biases in camera technology. In this project, I was asked to design and create an experimental camera with a specific purpose or usage in mind.

Design Process

The project idea is a mosaic camera that allow us to capture “mosaic in you” in the video. I would like all of us to thoughtfully consider what kind of life mosaic we will create today and over the course of our lives. Will it be a beautiful work of art or faces or figures or something we will be ashamed for others to see? In Xin’s tutorial, she also elaborates that use of mosaic that has been applied in daily life to blur out secret information as well. So I created a mosaic filter for our camera to recognize us in a different way so that we can use this imagery of the life mosaic filter to be more intentional and thoughtful about how we will show up and act today and every day: We create mosaic, mosaic could not blur you. Instead of letting mosaic takes control, you are now controlling mosaic filter, the slider on the bottom is made for you to turn the mosaic on or off depending on your choices. The mosaic is creating a new image constantly through the interactions we have with the camera, and an eye tracker on the upper left corner to track and follow what are we looking when mosaic is slowly focusing on facial features. Within the mosaic filter, this is also a star mosaic filter which could be applied and refreshed when you move the mouse from left to right to make it more playful as a background,just like a Zoom background.

Reflection

We create mosaic, mosaic could not blur you.

I have learnt a lot from other’s project, like: Haoshu’s face masks, Zach Lieberman’s face tracker, (thanks to Lan), instagram filters and clmtracker. I found it very useful and opening up a new path for me to think about different ideas. The process of simply “seeing” is not enough, but when it comes to shape the “seeing” process through codes, it becomes interesting and fun. You need to come up a lot of different ideas instead of just simply making a filter. I have been challenged to think about what could this design do when it is applied in real life and how could it be meaningful to some people. Though experimenting and testing brings “mosaic in you”, and I hope through this people can see things differently and do not let mosaic blur you, you create mosaic.