DJ heartbeat
The installation makes two people’s heartbeats come together to create a unique moment of audiovisual output to the rhythm of their hearts.
What I learned
Getting several softwares and hardware solutions to communicate seamlessly is extremely demanding, but oh so rewarding when it actually works!
Individual project
Hanne Lockertsen
7 weeks, December 2022
ArtCenter College of Design
Transmedia
Interaction and graphic design
Electronics and coding
Physical prototyping
People gathering around the installation
Hardware interface made from acrylic
Watch the orange blob dance to the beat of your heart
Process
It started with the idea of visualizing the heart beat, and evolved into a fun, challenging and all-consuming project including:
Software
Visual Studio Code to read the sensor
p5.serialcontrol to transfer serial read to p5.js
p5.js sketch to visualize input
midi.city to play notes from input
Hardware
Adafruit Feather ESP32-s3
2 x pulse sensors
2 x neo pixel rings
2 x potentiometer
a breadboard and lots of wires
The output was projected onto white cardboard shaped like circle and placed low to the ground to give the feeling of gathering around a campfire.
The goal was to marry technology and biometrics to create a unique and personal experience
You can choose the musical output on midi.city through the laptop
Final reflections
I am thankful for all the technical support I got from instructors, because I could not have done all this coding by myself.
I learned so much during this project! Combining physical sensors, learning about and using new softwares as well as gaining an understanding of what was possible with the resources at hand was first of all a challenge in patience. It demanded taking baby steps and targeting one problem at a time.
I am happy with the final installation as it gathered people the way I hoped it would — marrying technology and biometrics to create a unique and personal experience.