by Axel
Mulder
The i-Rave was an interactive dance party
during Realidade Virtual 99, a conference and show on
virtual reality technology and art held at Candido Mendes
University in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Show
The i-Rave was held on wednesday 9 June 1999 at
Bunker, a club in Rio de Janeiro. The installation was
shown at regular intervals during the night after
midnight. After the opening the installation by a
professional dancer, club visitors could try out the
installation during the show times. About 800 people
attended the party.
Technology
A 3x3 ft floor built of TapTile sensors captured
the step patterns and weight displacement of a dancer.
Two GForce sensors (held in
left and right hands) captured hand movements of the
dancer. The sensors were interfaced using the I-CubeX System. The sensor data
was analyzed and interpreted using Max, a graphical
programming language. The step pattern information was
used to select a drum/percussion and base loop on
Revolve, a groove sequencer. The weight displacement
information was used to accentuate the percussion as
generated by the groove sequencer. The hand acceleration
was used to tweak the base sounds as generated by the
groove sequencer. The sensor data was also used to
control Houdini, a procedural graphics synthesizer.
The i-Rave event was well-covered in the
Brazilian press and TV. Below a clipping of O Globo, one
of the largest newspaper magazines in Brazil. See
also Aqui (14/0799), a brazilian webzine, for interviews of the
exhibitors at the virtual reality show.
Acknowledgements
Many thanks to the RV 99 team (tudo certinho
Daniel, Raquel e Rejane !), Universidade Candido Mendes
as well as Sideffects software. Um grande abrao pra
Adriana, Andre, Beto (Alberto Levy Macedo) e seus
irmâ¹os, Bola, Eduardo, Maria, Sergio e Ziggy.
References
Houdini by Sideffects software
I-CubeX, GForce, Taptile by Infusion
Systems
Max by Opcode systems
Revolve by Spincycle audio |