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Interactive Public Mirror Display
Summary
Interactive mirror installation for fitness
and fashion stores. The full-length "magic" mirror reflects
a uniform size for everyone. When a person steps in front of the mirror,
it curves itself, as necessary, so short people get taller, and tall people
shorter. In the end everyone's size is "normalized". The piece
plays with the uniformity of the common beauty model that magazines and
ads promote.
System
An ultrasonic range finder mounted overhead determines the height of the
person in front of the mirror. This sensor's data is sent to a custom
programmed microprocessor (BX24) that computes the "adjustment"
required to the person's image, and controls a gear head motor accordingly.
The motor mechanically deforms the Plexiglas mirror to be concave or convex.
[Collaboration with Antje Pfannkuchen, Michael Wilson and Debbie Yang]