Thesis Midterm Presentation Slides

We had a few visitors in class last week, and I really enjoyed hearing their feedback on my thesis. In developing my presentation, I realized that I have several unanswered questions that I’m grappling with, outside of the technical challenges of developing a rewarding way for people to interact with bioluminescent algae. We had a great conversation about my reasons for mediating this experience at all. In other words, why am I building this display, instead of organizing walking tours to a beach? Why do I want to bring this natural material into a cultural environment? I still don’t have clear answers to these questions, but I’m getting there.

I’ve decided to let the display rely on the movements of people to agitate and light the algae, rather than using electronics. My classmate, Marco, had a great suggestion to use spheres or ball bearings to allow for movement of the algae. I’m excited about this idea, as it brings me back to my interest in physical interactions and kinesthetic learning, which brought me to ITP in the first place.