HAZE Express

1999, Christa SOMMERER & Laurent MIGNONNEAU
Source: 1999, Christa SOMMERER & Laurent MIGNONNEAU

(collective) Sommerer / Mignonneau

HAZE Express ,
Co-workers & Funding
developed at IAMAS International Academy of Media Arts and Sciences, 1999
Documents
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Description
HAZE Express is an interactive computer installation that develops the metaphor of traveling and watching landscapes passing by through the window of vehicles such as trains, cars and air planes. When looking at a landscape at high speed, one does not really know very much about this landscape, how it looks in details or how for example people live in it. The passing landscapes become mere images, accumulations of forms, shapes and colors, like a haze of impressions.

HAZE Express is an interactive computer installation that performs the recombination, development and evolution of seemingly random images in a way that is reminiscent of how we see images through the window of a train.

In the interactive journey with HAZE Express the viewer can watch the passing images, stop them and look at their composition in more detail. The way he moves his hand on the train window surface will influence how the landscapes behind become composed: non-deterministic evolutionary image composition linked to interaction will always provide new and unique image elements that become part of the semi-realistic and semi-virtual trip through data landscapes.

Interaction/Genetic Selection :

Sitting in one of the HAZE Express ?s comfortable chairs the viewer can look out of the window and move his hand on the window surface. When he slides his hand from the left to the right, the images will slide in the same direction, uncovering continuos landscapes, composed of organic and abstract image scenes. The location of where the viewer touches thewindow as well as the frequency and speed of his hand?s movement will influence what kind of image elements will be created. Genetic selection is used to always provide new image elements that are selected upon by the viewer?s interaction. The faster the hand will slide horizontally on the window surface, the faster the landscape will scroll in the same direction. Images can also be simply stopped by ceasing the hands movement while remaining with the hand on the window surface.
Keywords
  • aesthetics
    • animated
    • tactile
    • visual
  • genres
    • installations
      • interactive installations
  • technology
    • displays
      • electronic displays
        • projectors
    • hardware
      • multi-touchscreens
Technology & Material
Hardware
1 computer
1 touch screen frame
1 back projection screen window
2 train seats
1 wooden construction
2 lights
4 Infra red lights
1 Video projector
Interface
1 dual touch screen frame (Infra Red break beam)
1 back projection screen window
1 hardware interface for the touch screen frame
Infra Red break beam driver and multiplexer
Serial communication of hands position estimation
Software
Icon image pattern generator
Icon behavior
Swipe algorithm
Bibliography
  • Sommerer, Christa and Laurent Mignonneau. »Haze Express.« In Outoäly - Alien Intelligence at KIASMA Museum of Contemporary Art, edited by Erkki Huhtamo and Perttu Rastas, 104-105. Helsinki: KIASMA Museum of Contemporary Art, 2000.
  • Sommerer, Christa and Laurent Mignonneau. »HAZE Express.« In Cyber: criação na era digital, edited by R. Trindade, 7. Lisbon, Portugal: Centro Cultural de Belém, 1999.
  • Sommerer, Christa and Laurent Mignonneau. »HAZE Express.« In CyberArts 1999: International Compendium - Prix Ars Electronica 1999, edited by Hannes Leopoldseder and Christine Schöpf, 92-93. Vienna, New York: Springer Verlag, 1999.
  • Sommerer, Christa and Laurent Mignonneau. »HAZE Express.« In The Interaction’99, edited by Itsuo SakaneGifu, Japan: IAMAS Academy and Softopia, Japan, 1999.