UCL-DFPI portfolio

CONTENTS

PANOPTICON Disciplined by the pressure of the gaze

ODYSESSY an AI-based future prediction platform

EVOLUTION CITY OF EVOLUTION

Co-evolution of plant and environment under urban environmental pollution

THE LOST CHRONICLE A science fiction story centered on the evolution of information storage media

KEYWORDS SURVEILLANCE AND PRIVACY SELF-DISCIPLINE SOUND INTERACTION MAPPING

CONCEPT Themed "Panopticon," this project explores the self-restraint under the gaze to build an immersive interactive space that explores the potential impact of ubiquitous surveillance on individual freedom. By means of real-time monitoring, sound interaction and audio-visual interaction, the installation gradually reveals the hidden tension between monitoring and self-restraint, and inspires viewers to reflect deeply on privacy, freedom and self-discipline.

https://youtu.be/6WBVcou_ZgI

INVISIBLE SURVEILLANCE OF MODERN PEOPLE

INSPIRATION In Black Mirror, technology is no longer a simple tool, but a ubiquitous "gaze" that records and influences people's behavior and psychological state.

1

Social media and online behavior monitoring Social platforms, search engines and applications record users' search history, liking habits, interactions, etc., collecting massive amounts of data for profile analysis and personalized advertising.

Location tracking and mobile monitoring

2

The built-in GPS and app location capabilities of smartphones allow users to be continuously tracked in real time.Traffic surveillance cameras can also track vehicle and pedestrian movements to monitor traffic.

3

Through this film, I began to think about the delicate relationship between technology, privacy and self.

FOUCAULT'S THEORY

Surveillance cameras and facial recognition technology Widely installed camera systems in public places and corporate environments, security equipment with facial recognition, etc.,

The French philosopher and sociologist Michel Foucault discussed the concept of the Panopticon in detail in his book Discipline and Punishment: The Birth of the Prison (1975), which led to a series of theories about power, control, and social discipline.

ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES OF PANOPTICON

Tracking of web activity and data transactions

4

Many websites and applications use Cookies and tracking scripts to record users' web browsing and clicking behavior.

5 Biometrics and health data monitoring Health and fitness apps collect a lot of biometric information such as heart rate, steps, eating habits, and more.

At the center of the Panopticon is a tall surveillance tower, which is the core of the design and is used to observe all the prisoners in the prison.

the psychological impact of the development of surveillance technology The progress of monitoring technology makes people unable to get rid of the external "gaze", which not only changes the behavior pattern of individuals, but also deeply affects the psychological state.

CONCEPT Under the theme of "Self-restraint under the Gaze", this project constructs an immersive interactive space to explore the profound effects of invisible surveillance on individual psychology and behavior in modern society. Through a combination of real-time monitoring, sound feedback, sensor interaction and other technologies, the project simulates a surveillance environment full of oppression and unease, and the viewer will personally experience the psychological state of being constantly stared at in the space.

INTERACTIVE PROCESS 1

STAGE 1: ENTERING SPACE

STAGE 2: THE MONITORED EXPERIENCE

o The camera starts, monitors and projects the viewer's image to the screen in real time

o The sound produces low-frequency sound effects based on the viewer's initial movement, slightly enhancing the sense of unease o The projection pattern begins to show subtle fluctuations

3

4

Anxiety and restlessness

Self-censorship and behavioral restraint

Deindividuation and conformity

2

"Glass Man" effect

Resistance and alienation

Habitual self-discipline and "taming" STAGE 4: SELF-DISCIPLINE AND COMPROMISE

"Tech Burnout" caused by surveillance technology

Decreased social trust

o people eventually slow down, sit down and curl up, showing a compromise posture o Sound tends to be low frequency or disappear, showing a quiet state o Projection pattern finally returns to calm, showing the viewer's self-restraint and adaptation

STAGE 3: RESISTANCE AND STRUGGLE o Multiple sets of sensors record distance changes and detect large body movements o The sound frequency gradually increases with the movement, and the volume increases, causing tension o The pattern changes dramatically with the increase of the frequency of the sound, enhancing the visual stimulation

INTERACTIVE DESIGN

SOUND INTERACTIVE DEVICE

REAL-TIME MONITORING

DISTANCE SENSOR Detect the distance between the object (such as a person) and the sensor.

ARDUINO BOARD Process the data received from the distance sensor and transfer the data to the computer.

Through the use of TV sets, surveillance cameras and tripods, the real-time monitoring device enables the audience to immediately see the effect of their own behavior being recorded, so as to stimulate their thinking about the relationship between monitoring and self-behavior.

PC (PERSONA COMPUTER) Run Ableton Live, which is responsible for receiving data transmitted by Arduino board and generating corresponding sound effects according to preset sound Settings.

Round iron frame device

STEP 1 DISTANCE DETECTION 2M

2M

DEVICE TESTING https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51qShQ9m5yc A ring-shaped iron frame with distance sensors inside to form an enclosed interactive space.

The viewer enters the iron frame and interacts with the distance sensor, which triggers different sound effects by changing the distance.

10CM

20CM

30CM

STEP 2 DATA TRANSFER

STEP 3 SOUND GENERATION

VISUAL DESIGN In terms of technical implementation, I use TouchDesigner to carry out dynamic deformation of the planar image of the Panopticon. Through the application of node network and operators, the image keeps changing on the time axis. The changing design of light and shadow patterns enhances the visual impact, intended to convey the sense of oppression and unease brought by surveillance.

VIDEO

TOUCHDESIGNER TRACK

Odyssey https://youtu.be/_ns6jh6hzKQ

INTRODUCTION Odyssey is an AI-based future prediction platform designed to help users explore different life paths and future possibilities. The system can generate a sequence of events to reproduce a user's digital life story and predict its future trajectory.

AI PREDICTION

INTERACTIVE NARRATIVE

TECHNOLOGY AND DESTINY

FASHION PHOTOGRAPHY

INSPIRATION

BACKGROUND

LIFE2VEC ASSESSMENT

Cohen’s Quadratic kappa Score with Absolute Deviation

HUMAN DESIRE AND UNCERTAINTY FOR THE FUTURE

Using the data of life2vec system for reference, we created a new AI prediction system Odyssey.

SCIENCE FICTION LITERATURE AND MOVIES SOCIAL CHANGE AND TECHNOLOGICAL DEPENDENCE PERSONALIZED EXPERIENCE AND USER NEEDS

LIFE2VEC A SYSTEM THAT APPLIES AI TECHNOLOGY TO LIFE PREDICTION A new study trains AI with massive amounts of data to give accurate predictions about the trajectory of an individual's life. Using detailed data on about 6 million Danish citizens from the Danish National Register between 2008 and 2016, the researchers translated relevant information such as health, education, occupation, income, and residential address into a sequence of events to recreate each person's digital life story on a timeline, using the Transformer method to train a model called life2vec .

RADAR MAP OF FACTORS AFFECTING SURVIVAL AND REDUCED LIFE EXPECTANCY RANDOM

MACHINE OPERATORS (ISCO Group8)

5

20

life2vec

15

RNN

10

Random GUESS

05 00 05

Q1 Social Self-Esteem

Q2 Social Boldness

Q3 Sociability

Q4 Liveliness

When it comes to predicting personality traits, the life2vec model outperforms traditional models such as RNN

PROCESS RAW LIFE SEQUENCE (with position)

CONTEXTUALISED SEQUENCE

COMPRESSED SEQUENCE (representation)

AGE

STEP1 Data Input

ABSOLUTE POSITION SEGMENT EVENT DATA

MENTAL & BEHAVIORAL DIAGNOSIS(F codes)

CONCEPTS

25

STEP2 Process

ENCODER

MALE

ENCODER

4

STEP3 Output

3

PREDICTION

2 1

INFECTIOUS and DISEASES (A-B codes)

SKILLED WORKERS (ISCO Group6）

MANAGERIAL POSITION (ISCO Group6）

HIGH INCOME

USE

E F R

K C A B ED

GAME LOGIC USER

The future presented by the Odyssey system is not fixed, but diverse and dynamic, and every future scenario generated by the system is based on the possible outcomes of the current data.

RECHEL 19

INFORMATION

CARD

Occupation

Student

Hobbies

photography, movies

Major

Visual Design

Income

None

Residential address

City

Education

Bachelor degree

Health problems

Yes/depression

Sleep quality Eating habit Motion condition Mental health

ENCODER

RISK OF DEATH

START

ENTER YOUR BASIC INFORMATION

TRANSFORMER model

FUTURE INCOME

PROBABILISTIC RESULT GENERATE VIDEO

FUTURE CAREER ENCODER

Professional competence Hobbies and interests Individual talent

DIGITAL MODELING VISUAL ELEMENT Gears symbolize the movement of systems and destiny. The cogs are interlocking, representing a close collaboration between the modules of the Odyssey system to drive the prediction process.

LIVE SHOOTING DESIGN According to rechal's prediction in odyssey, I designed two characters and presented them in the form of real shooting.

The form of live shooting makes these two results more concrete and realistic.

USER EXPERIENCE OCCUPATION

RISK OF DEATH Sleep quality

Professional competence

Eating habit

Individual talent The hands of the clock constantly circle, symbolizing the cycle of fate and the influence of decisions on the trajectory of life.

The passage of time in the clock and the precise operation of the gears symbolize the close connection between fate and choice.

Hobbies and interests

fIRST RESULT

72%

The system uses ai to predict that she has an 72 % chance of becoming a photographer based on her major and hobbies.

68%

Motion condition Mental health

sECOND RESULT Rechal had mental health problems and turned to alcohol to deal with stress, so the ai system detected an 68% chance that she would die from drinking too much in the future.

PROCESS

LOCATION: STUDIO PROPS: CAMERA, MULTIPLE TRIPODS

TIME: NIGHT LOCATION: EMPTY STREET PROPS: BOTTLES, PILLS

VIDEO IMAGE

DATA INPUT

Now, you can use Odyssey AI prediction system to peek into your future. Whether it's career development, mortality risk, or future earnings, this system will provide you with unprecedented insights.

CODED INFORMATION

echel has chosen to predict her future career. odyssey system will predict 72% probability of her becoming a photographer through Transformer model based on personal information such as her college major and hobby ability.

VIDEO IMAGE LIVE SCENE PREDICTED RESULT

EVOLUTION CITY OF EVOLUTION Co-evolution of plant and environment under urban environmental pollution

THE LOST CHRONICLE A science fiction story centered on the evolution of information storage media

KEYWORDS Plant morphological variation Urban ecology Symbiotic relationship

https://youtu.be/uIJtFvYcLj4

INTRODUCE The project presents a virtual space of black and white different worlds, showing how plants co-evolve with the surrounding environment in the polluted urban environment, undergoing morphological, functional and other variations. Viewers will experience this process firsthand in virtual reality, interacting with different plants in the environment to gain insight into how they adapt and co-evolve with sources of pollution. Combining biological theory and digital art, the work aims to provoke the audience to think deeply about environmental change, ecological balance and sustainable urban development in the future.

Co-evolution of plant and environment under urban environmental pollution

INSPRATION

These perspectives got me thinking about how plants can co-exist with by-products of human activities (such as garbage and water pollution) in urban pollution to develop adaptive structures.

MAJOR URBAN POLLUTION PROBLEMS

CO-EVOLUTION OF ORGANISMS AND THEIR ENVIRONMENT e.g. Coevolution in radioactive contamination: Chernobyl plant communities

Air pollution

Water pollution

Soil pollution The Chernobyl Nuclear accident occurred on April 26, 1986 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Pripyat, Ukraine, USSR. The accident was the worst nuclear power accident in history.

Lynn Margulis, an American biologist, writes in Symbiotic Planet that "life does not evolve in isolation. It is driven by symbiotic relationships between different organisms."

Ecologist Timothy Mousseau, studying the Chernobyl radiation ecology, found that "the high radiation environment, while damaging the ecosystem, also caused some plants to show increased genetic stability."

The substances that cause air pollution may be gases, solids or liquid suspensions.

If the pollutants are not treated to remove harmful substances, they are directly or indirectly discharged into the water, which will cause water pollution.

Soil pollution is often caused by industrial activities, agricultural chemicals or improper disposal of waste.

After the Chernobyl nuclear accident, local plant communities were exposed to high levels of radioactive contamination, but some plants showed remarkable tolerance to radiation.

1986

Now...

Red bugs near Chernobyl have altered their wing patterns. The photo on the far left is a normal color pattern; The photos on the right are clearly different, presumably due to genetic mutations. Such mutations are more common in areas with higher radiation levels.

FIELD INVESTIGATION

RESEARCH Cities are a major contributor to climate change. According to UN-Habitat, cities consume 78% of the world's energy and more than 60% of greenhouse gas emissions come from urban areas. However, cities cover less than 2% of the Earth's surface.

60%

78%

Li Kau, Guangzhou, China

2%

South China Botanical Garden, Guangzhou, China

CONCEPT

INTERACTIVE DESIGN

The design concept of this project focuses on "co-evolution of plants and environment under urban environmental pollution", and uses digital modeling and virtual reality technology to build an abstract other-world environment. In this environment, plant morphology changes continuously with the intensification of pollution, showing deep symbiosis and adaptation with the environment.

Each interaction shows how plants adapt to their environment through morphological variation, forming a narrative of life persisting in the face of adversity.

SCENE CONCEPTUAL DESIGN SCENE1

The hollow organic structure shows the complex symbiotic relationship between life and environment

The viewer explores the scene from a first perspective, climbing a spiral staircase and gradually unlocking plant forms that represent co-evolution, such as corroded rattan, garbage flotsam and photovoltaic trees.

PHOTOVOLTAICA ARBORIS

Phase2 The design concept of the black and white different world uses simple black and white tones and abstract form language to construct a surreal evolutionary space, aiming to express the deep relationship and change between life and the environment.

PLASTICA NYMPHAEA

SCENE2

CORROSIA VINEA

The main body of the scene is an organic building covered by a silk screen, whose appearance is corroded and damaged, symbolizing the erosion of life caused by environmental destruction. These elements not only carry the traces of urban civilization, but also suggest its decay and imbalance.

Phase1

Phase3

INFORMATION ON PLANT COEVOLUTION PLANT COEVOLUTION

Each plant species is triggered by interaction to demonstrate its co-evolution process in a polluted environment, showing the interweaving of technology and nature, and inspiring the audience to think about ecology, the environment and a sustainable future.

CORROSIA VINEA

PLASTICA NYMPHAEA

PHOTOVOLTAICA ARBORIS

EVOLUTION PROCESS

Adaptation of plants to air pollution (such as particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, etc., affecting stomatal morphology)

Effects of water pollution on aquatic plants (e.g., the effect of eutrophication on flos flos).

Responses of plants to heavy metal pollution (e.g. lead, cadmium, etc.)

FUNCTIONAL EVOLUTION

FUNCTIONAL EVOLUTION

MATERIAL CHANGE

MATERIAL CHANGE

MATERIAL CHANGE

Corrosia Vinea is a highly evolved aggressive vine adapted to the environment of heavily polluted industrial ruins. Known for its corrosive growth structure and rapid expansion, the species is a symbol of both ecological restoration and environmental threat.

Plastica Nymphaea is an evolutionarily adapted aquatic plant that lives in water bodies heavily polluted by plastic waste. This species mainly survives by decomposing and absorbing plastic particles, showing a high degree of adaptability to industrial pollution.

Photovoltaica Arboris is a multifunctional energy plant that has evolved in extreme environments, and its leaves are covered with photovoltaic cells with efficient energy conversion ability, which can directly convert solar energy into biological energy and electricity. This mutant plant is a symbol of the fusion of nature and technology.

HABITAT

HABITAT

HABITAT

Abandoned factories, chemical pollution areas, landfills and other areas eroded by industrial waste.

Wastewater ponds, urban drains, lakes and rivers with high plastic pollution.

Wastewater ponds, urban drains, lakes and rivers with high plastic pollution.

OUTCOME The final digital image is an immersive visual narrative combining artistic expression and scientific exploration, aiming to reveal the complex relationship between urban environmental pollution and plant co-evolution through the construction of virtual space and the presentation of dynamic images. Through the double scenes of black and white world and virtual reality ruins, the film takes the audience into a narrative journey from the evolution of life to the destruction of the environment.

https://youtu.be/goJJ8rWjw6Q

inspiration

timeline/Evolution of information storage media

In the rapid development of the digital era, information storage technology has undergone tremendous changes, from the early text characterization, tape recording, to today's cloud storage and blockchain technology, human needs for the preservation of memory and information has never stopped. However, with the continuous evolution of technology, the problem of memory preservation and loss is becoming more and more complicated.

From ancient manual information recording techniques to 21st century digital storage.

How are memories lost over time?

Stone tablets & cuneiform tablets

Printing & the Gutenberg Bible

Newspapers & movable type printing

This is the earliest recording of human information, showing the origin of writing and the recording methods of early civilizations.

Papyrus rolls & parchment manuscripts The invention of printing was a major revolution in the history of inThe invention of papyformation disseminarus and parchment tion, promoting the made it easier and popularization of more durable to record books and knowledge. information.

Newspapers marked the mass dissemination of information, especially during the Industrial Revolution, and became an important source of information for the public to understand the world.

(circa 3000 BC)

(Middle Ages)

(17th - 19th centuries)

(15th century)

Magnetic Tape & diskette Magnetic tape and floppy disk are the typical media of information storage in the electronic age, which promotes the electronic storage of data.

(1970s-1980s)

How are memories preserved by technological progress?

CONSIDER

BACKGROUND

In human history, the evolution of information storage, from oracle bone inscriptions to tape to cloud storage, has carried the inheritance of civilization.

With the further virtualization of storage technology in the future, the preservation of memories becomes more dependent on the network and the cloud, and in the face of these seemingly eternal data systems, humans are more vulnerable.

In the next 2224 years, humanity has entered the era of hyper-digitalization, virtual museums display information storage media spanning thousands of years, however, a key lost item affects the exploration of time and space...

CDS & DVDS

Hard Drives & Cloud Storage

CD and DVD greatly improve the capacity and convenience of information storage, so that information storage into the optical era.

Hard drives mark a new era of mass data storage, while cloud storage enables global synchronization and cross-device access to information.

(1990s)

(21st century)

SCENE DESIGN

Museum structure In the center of the future virtual museum, a huge stone tablet stands in the center, inscribed with the word "WANTED", symbolizing the desire and pursuit of lost memories.

The short film uses cutting-edge 3D modeling and virtual camera technology, with precise camera movements throughout the narrative. Take the audience on a search for memory, technology and existence.

TOP VIEW

WIREFRAME VIEW

FRONT VIEW

Sc AN en CI e 2 EN T

m u

1

m o

a

e s u

m

r e f n e t c f S e h T

Sc RE en SO e 3 NN AC

Sc CL en OU e 4 D AT L

AS

E

PR

IN

T

7 representative exhibits Each exhibit can represent a turning point in the technological era.

The warrant tablet 3D VIEWS

Inscriptions on tortoise shells

parchment manuscripts

movable type printing

Newspapers & typewriter

Magnetic Tape

CDs

Cloud Storage

TABLET FLAT TEXT

SCENE DESIGN process Scene 2 ANCIENT PRINT

Scene 4 CLOUD ATLAS

Scene 3 RESONNACE

ANCIENT DESERT

AN AUCTION HOUSE FROM THE 20TH CENTURY

THE FUTURE ERA

Distant can see the ancient altar and ancient civilization remains

The tape in the auction room is a forgotten memory of the past, but it still contains valuable information.

A new era, showing an ultra-modern factory.

Ancient writing is the earliest way of recording information.

AUCTION HOUSE STRUCTURE

AUCTION POSTER

Cloud storage As a symbol of future information storage, cloud data carries the memory of the entire society.

VIDEO INTERFACE DESIGN

CONVEYOR BELT

The web page is flashing with information about items to search for.

Giant cloud storage machines are being automated by conveyor belt systems, representing the latest technology for the future of human information storage

STORYBOARD

Scene 2 ANCIENT PRINT

Scene 3 RESONNACE

Scene 4 CLOUD ATLAS