Microchallenge III
Contributors: Carmen - https://carmenrobres.github.io/portfolio/
Initial idea / Concept of the Project¶
Our project aims to create a comprehensive experience centered around embodying surveillance through a wearable device. We seek to develop a tool capable of monitoring others and detecting signs of aggression from individuals in close proximity.
In the era of surveillance capitalism, cameras are ubiquitous. Various nations utilize these cameras to surveil and monitor citizens, tracking behaviors such as walking patterns and aggression to maintain urban safety. While these data-driven analyses through machine learning hold potential societal benefits, they remain inherently reliant on statistical behavior and lack 100% reliability.
Despite constant surveillance, many individuals have normalized it and exhibit apathy towards it. However, what if the roles were reversed, and we became the surveillers? What if they were aware of us watching them? This is the concept underlying our wearable technology.
Our wearable aims to raise awareness about surveillance and prompt others to recognize that they are being observed. Moreover, it serves as a protective tool. By wearing a device that monitors our surroundings and alerts us to nearby individuals displaying aggression or encroaching on our personal space, can we feel safer? Is this the optimal solution for our needs?
Interaction Description¶
The idea is to make a personification of a ‘human’ surveillance camera that detects other bodies or potentially aggressive attitudes.
The wearable is going to have a camera and a proximity sensor that detects other bodies and potential attitudes and then reacts through sound and an LED. It will also have an artistic display where all the inputs connect and showcase what the wearable si sensing live.
Final Product¶
Personal Reflection¶
Even though the final product turned out to be a bit crude and perhaps not very functional, it was still highly charged with technical diffiulties: namely that we were able to interconnect different devices with each other and send/receive OSC using a wearable. For this I feel satisfied as we recreated a project that could coincide with our interests as we were both surprised by the cameras placed in some cities that analyze people’s behavior by the type of walking or gestures. For this reason we wanted to recreate the same thing but make it obvious as not everyone is aware of being watched and analyzed.
References and Resources¶
PoseNet https://github.com/tensorflow/tfjs-models/tree/master/posenet
MediaPipe https://github.com/nicknochnack/MediaPipePoseEstimation/blob/main/Media%20Pipe%20Pose%20Tutorial.ipynb https://github.com/nicknochnack/Full-Body-Estimation-using-Media-Pipe-Holistic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=We1uB79Ci-w https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06TE_U21FK4 https://github.com/nicknochnack
OpenPose https://medium.com/@samim/human-pose-detection-51268e95ddc2 https://github.com/CMU-Perceptual-Computing-Lab/openpose
TOUCHDESIGNER https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iynrn58-sXc https://developers.google.com/mediapipe/solutions/vision/pose_landmarker/python https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WS2Ww6zYgJw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnrWjQ_zO-s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRTRJziqoJk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4rlC6y1ahw
ESP32 CAMERA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8h0iweM5Ngo https://www.instructables.com/XIAO-ESP32-S3-Handheld-Camera-Pocket-Edition/
AGGRESSIVE BODY LANGUAGE https://www.ftcollinsmartialarts.com/5-body-language-signs-that-indicate-aggression/ https://www.scienceofpeople.com/aggressive-body-language/#:~:text=Do%20you%20know%20the%20telltale,nostril%20flaring%20can%20indicate%20anger.