Orbis

Yukihiro Sugawara; Kotaro Watanabe; Shinnosuke Hirose; Moe Miyake; Kenshiro Taira; Sakura Takada; Ryoho Kobayashi; Yuta Uozumi; Kei Fujiwara; Shinya Fujii

Image credit: Yukihiro Sugawara; Kotaro Watanabe; Shinnosuke Hirose; Moe Miyake; Kenshiro Taira; Sakura Takada; Ryoho Kobayashi; Yuta Uozumi; Kei Fujiwara; Shinya Fujii

• Format: Installation
• Session: installations-1, installations-2
• Paper PDF link
• Presence: In person
• Location: SoM Lecture Theatre 1

Abstract:

When cells divide, they initiate cell division through ripple-like patterns called “Min waves”. In the field of artificial cell engineering, researchers have successfully generated these waves within artificially constructed cells. Although cell division itself has not yet been achieved, the Min waves observed in artificial cells exhibit diverse behaviors under various conditions. “Orbis” expresses the cycles and spatial movement of Min waves in artificial cells with sound and light, creating a space where the rhythm and energy flow of the artificial cells can be experienced intuitively through hearing and vision. We developed a system to detect the movements of Min waves generated in artificial cells through image analysis and utilized their unique behaviors as an oscillator. For image analysis, Blob Tracking TOP, an OpenCV-based detection model in TouchDesigner, is used to track the positional coordinates of Min waves in the observation footage. The Min wave coordinate data from TouchDesigner is sent to Max via OSC (Open Sound Control) and is reflected in the output of several speakers and light bulbs in a circular arrangement. “Orbis” is an interface that enables the unique behavior of this quasi-life form to be converted into sound and light. By expressing the ‘vitality’ that gradually emerges from matter through auditory and visual information, it encourages the audience to question “What is life?”