Mind Cupola

Keywords: cognitive feedback loop, cognitive-driven interaction, affective computing, biofeedback interface, affective environment, aesthetic experience, eye tracking, affect, embodiment, immersive experience, flow

The Mind Cupola V2 ( version 2)  is an affective computing based interactive artwork that explores the participant’s consciousness via generative audio and visuals that provides an immersive experience. Participants are invited to interact with the audiovisual display through their eye movements. In this encounter they have to control groups of visual elements with particular eye behaviours in order to generate the next stage of the visualisation. The Mind Cupola encourages the participant to recognize the laws of interacting with it, emphasising self-observation and self-control. They are successful when the system allows them to write their own messages and access previous participants creations.

Participants are invited to step under the cupola at the highlighted place. After detecting the person, the cupola will move to the appropriate position, to the height of the user. The participant  is advised to be relaxed and only use movements of the eye and head to react to the system actions. The participant’s main guide is the visualisation, which directly react to the participant’s eye movement with particular flocking patterns and behaviour which is also influenced by the affective state of the participant. Through the interaction the person has to recognise the laws of the system in order to achieve full immersion. The display presents not only a visualisation of the participant’s eye-control but also the representation of the cognitive state of the user. The system evaluates its participants affective states and guides him/her towards the optimal state of immersive experience. As such the participant’s experience is a fluctuation of instinct and conscious control mechanisms that might turn into a self-reflective process of flow experience.