ANIMA OBSCURA

This technical paper presents the results of the past three years research and development work by an interdisciplinary team of artists, scholars, disability empowerment experts, engineers, computer scientists and medical doctors, working together to invent new cutting edge technologies for real people’s needs. The group has called itself SPIRITlevel (see www.smartlabcentre.com) and has aimed to harness and share the power of technology when invented by and for people with unlimited imaginations despite physical limitations.
The project discussed is ‘ANIMA OBSCURA’: a showcase performance designed to demonstrate the empowering abilities of new technology in the performing arts, where bio-affective feedback systems and motion tracking technologies can be usefully (and invisibly) combined with live performance by disabled and able-bodied dancers, to allow every person to dance, move, and bring an augmented world to life. The showcase has broadcastable elements and scaleable format that makes it suitable for demonstration in hospital settings, rehabilitation units, art galleries, museums, and main stages. It can be utilised by individuals for personal therapy and healing, or used collaboratively in online game-playing between hospital beds or, in the ‘mainstream’, through webcast and broadcast formats.

Citation:
Burke, R. et al (2004) "ANIMA OBSCURA", International Broadcasting Conference 2004, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 9-13 September..