Visual Liquidizer or Virtual Merge
Tatsuo Unemi and Daniel Bisig
Each individual person is an entity physically separated from the others, but we sometimes feel spiritual connection with lovers, friends, family members, and so on. As closer physical contacts cause the deeper connections, it is possible to imagine that it would be more effective if we could physically mix our melting bodies with the bodies of the others. Human relations are one of the most important aspects to measure happiness of people. It is somewhat difficult but might be ideal if we could have peaceful relations with as many persons as possible, rather than conflict or separation.
In this work, Visual Liquidizer or Virtual Merge, deformed dynamic images of visitors are displayed as if their bodies become liquidized, scattered, and mixed. In doing so, the authors are hoping to provide a virtual experience of deeper contact with the other persons — people merge with each other more, not only in a private relation like lovers, but also with people from difference cultural backgrounds.
Images
The dynamic moving image rendered when two visitors each come to the opposite sides of the screen. The images of their bodies start scattering and mixing before gradually returning back to their normal figures.
Authors
Tatsuo Unemi
Department of Information Systems Science, Soka University
Tatsuo has been working in the fields of Artificial Intelligence and Artificial Life since graduating from the Department of Control Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology in 1978. His current research interests include software applications derived from Artificial Life, which look at art, sociology, and the field of humanities.
Daniel Bisig
Institute for Computer Music and Sound Technology, Zurich University of the Arts
Daniel's research areas have spanned art and design, computer music and sound technology. Since 1996 he has been active as an artist in the fields of computer animation, experimental video and software art.
