Resonance


Interactive Installation
Speculative Design
Co-author
Kinectic sculpture:
Guo xingyue
Performance Artist:
S. Chandrasekaran
/EEG Technology
/kinectic sculpture
/Cross- discipline Performance

Participating artists: Caren Carino, Joyce Teo, Guo Xingyue (Cynthia), Li Xiaomin and S. Chandrasekaran With the support of the Faculty of Interdisciplinary Practices & LEE FOUNDATION

Project Overview

Inspired by the imagined future of post-human bio-mechanical organisms, this work explores how collective consciousness can influence bodily autonomy through machines. As the interactive artist, I designed the system where audience brainwave data is translated in real time to control the mechanical tentacles, turning emotional empathy into direct physical intervention.

Concept[Artistic Concept]
Is human consciousness still in control of the body?

→ As technology becomes increasingly intelligent, humans grow more passive→ Is empathy the final thread that holds on to what makes us human?
Brainstorming

The core concept of the work centers on the question: “Is human consciousness still in control of the body?” In an era of increasingly intelligent technology, the individual gradually loses autonomy and bodily agency. Within this context, the work positions empathy as the final bridge—and possible resistance—between humanity and machine. By allowing audience brainwaves to influence the artist’s physical experience of pain, the piece provokes deep reflection on the boundaries of human identity and the mechanisms of technological control.



Interactive Technology
To successfully implement a project like this, having a clear technical workflow is essential. For the interactive portion of this project, I used a NeuroSky EEG headset, an Arduino microcontroller, and TouchDesigner.


Through this mechanism, the audience can control the mechanical installation using their brainwaves. The diagram below illustrates the intended effect：




Value Mapping Mechanism
In this interactive installation, participants wear a NeuroSky EEG headset, which outputs a real-time attention value ranging from 0 to 100, representing the user’s current level of mental focus. The higher the value, the more focused the user is.
To convert the brainwave attention value into a motor command, I used Arduino’s map() function to linearly map the range from 0–100 (attention value) to -16000 to +16000 (stepper motor position):



  • attention = 0 → motor target position = -16000, indicating maximum pulling force
  • attention = 50 → motor target position = 0, the neutral rest position
  • attention = 100 → motor target position = +16000, indicating maximum release or reversal


搭建过程Assembly Process














During testing, I encountered latency issues in the data flow, making it difficult for participants to perceive the impact of their brainwave activity in real time. To address this, I developed a brainwave visualization system that allows the audience to more intuitively see how their mental states are shaping the performance.



Visual Art
A real-time visual representation of the brainwave activity.










Performance