IN/EX Hale explores the word, “RISK”, through a unique interactive medium. Inspired through my father’s efforts of moving from India to the US, IN/EX Hale was a challenging, yet rewarding exploration piece.

Storytelling

Leaving India was a transformative moment in my family’s life, a leap of faith that demanded calculated risks and collective strength. To tell that story, I drew inspiration from our shared journey, highlighting the calmness and resilience that guided us. The project captures the essence of my father’s advice: "breathe calmly, decide collectively." It embodies the act of embracing change, symbolizing how our unity and adaptability allowed us to navigate an unfamiliar culture and find new opportunities.

Inflation

The intial idea for this project was never intended to be an interactive peice. It mainly began as an 3D animated peice that showcased 5 heads inflating and deflating. Behind the scenes, I used Unreal Engine’s MetaHuman software to create the personas and then used Blender to project map onto 3D mesh models, which were then keyframed to inflate and deflate.

Adding Interactions

While the inflation of each head showcased the idea, I wanted to push myself by exploring an interactive element. Breathing is something very human, something that defines life and the steps we take. So why not invite viewers to breathe along with the piece. What if the user’s breath controlled the peice?

After some reserach, I found that the best way to acheive this would be to use OpenCV’s image/motion tracking to detect when a viewer’s chest “pushed out” and “contracted“. This was then paired with Python ROI (Region of Interest) code, directly sent to the device (iPad) using it’s built in camera.

Design

I've decided to design print materials that explain the concept of my interactive video installation. Additionally, I'm incorporating interactive elements by integrating augmented reality animations within the visuals.