This week’s selection is the very strange Aposema mask by Adidas Meyer, Silvia Rueda and Sirou Peng.
The mask is a curious apparatus that is attached to the side of your face, where it interactively senses your current emotion based on facial expressions. After detection, it attempts to mirrors those emotions by mechanically displaying different colors and shapes on the mask’s exterior surface.
Whoa, that’s a lot to digest. How does this work, exactly?
- They perform a 3D scan on a subject to capture the facial structure
- A 3D structure is created based on the scan by inflating the surface layers, building the basic thickness of the mask
- Surface patterns and structures are added
- The 3D structure is subtracted from a solid, creating a 3D mold
- Split in half, the mold is filled with silicone, which solidifies
- The rough mask has sensors installed to detect face movements
- An Arduino controller is hooked up to the sensors and drives the display mechanisms appropriately
Here’s how they built the mask:
The result is a crazy born-like facial attachment that would surely be very appropriate for any Halloween costume party:
Can you buy one of these? As far as I know, you cannot. However, you might attempt to build one yourself, as there are some instructions to do so on Instrucetables. However, the instructions are a bit rough. Example:
Program an Arduino Uno board to read your muscle sensors and actuate your water pumps or air pumps.
Sure, everyone knows how to do that. Would have been nice to have a bit more detail or pointers to somewhere to assist.
Best to read through the instructions and see if this is something you could attempt to build. You’ll need 3D printing, electronics, programming and making skills.
But if you do and can make your own Aposema mask, you can bet there will be many questions when you wear it.
Via InteractiveArchitecture and Instructables
