AIMS
who is it for?
TSF is a visual information system which gives to the user an immediate sensation about the present and future conditions of the high tide in Venice. Its target is anyone who needs to walk around the city without a “sinking feeling”.
what information does it give?
As Venice is an island linked to the high and low tide mechanism of the Lagoon, TSF allows the users to see in an easy and intuitive way where and when the water is going to raise up/down, to easily plan their movements in the city.
TSF also gives you the possibility to know which kind of boots (or waders) choose depending on the zones you want to visit; the device projects over your body four different rays of light related to the level of each zone.
i.e. When high tide is 100 cm, in San Marco’s square water will reach your knees, but if you’re in Cannaregio it will only touch your ankles.
where is it?
- TSF can be located at home, to plan your walking path around the city and know the high tide situation before going out.
- TSF can be located in some key-zones of the city where it’s crucial for the tourists and the Venetians to know the high tide situation of the other zones of Venice.
i.e. At the railway station (a forced passage) TSF tells how much the high tide will raise or down, allowing the user to plan a coffee (or two) in the bar.
/ pdf presentation
EXPERIENCE
what happens at home?
As you approach the TSF a sensor detects your presence and projects on your legs the actual level of the tide through a laser-coloured line, one for each zone of Venice.
The shape of the line also tells you if the water is going to raise up or down in the next six hours.
As you move away from the sensor the laser focuses on the wall projecting the name of the target zone (S.Marco etc.) you experienced.
/ flash animation - 2 rays / flash animation - forecasts
what happens at the key zones (stazione)?
It’s the projection of the high-tide waves in the present and in the future 6 hours; every hour is represented by a person.
When you pass through the TSF, a sensor detects you and starts to register your image. Then, the current level of the water will be added to this image, and the result will be projected on the place. The camera detects your movements, and respond to them.
Over every person is shown the level of the high-tide.
As you stand in front of these characters you can interact with them, and as the person ends its animation is immediately substituted by their own shadow (recorded live by a camera). Every movement is projected and you can play with your shadow in the water.
what is the emotional tone?
TSF is quite immersive as it immediately gives you the feel of the high tide on your trousers.
Even if the high tide is a big problem for Venice, TSF tries to find a poetic and simple approach to make possible to live with it without sinking.
IMPLEMENTATION
inputs
1) sensors, to detect your presence in front of the TSF
2) webcams, to read your position on the outside implementation, and to grab your image
3) the device is connected via internet to the Centro Maree, which is the official Venice’s service that gives information, estimations and alarms about high tide. It’s data is updated every 6 hours
outputs
1) indoors, the device projects 4 different colored rays of light thanks to its laser lights
2) it also gives the name of the zones with different laser’s heads
3) a projector for outdoor application
hardware needed in real life
For the real project we need, besides the previous items, a board (like wiring or arduino) to read and manage input data, a column of lasers with microhole lettering on the lenses, a computer to manage everything on the public application, and maybe more than one projector.
hardware and software needed for the prototype
For the indoor prototype we want to create one tower of lasers, to project many different heights but only for just one target-zone. To simulate the sensor of movement we will use a webcam. To prototype the outdoors application, we will add a projector to the mix.
UNRESOLVED ISSUES
- We are working on the projection of the lights and the algorithm to simulate the sensors behavior.
- We have to solve some questions about the lightning technologies.
- We must discover a way to take the information from the (centro maree).
- How the webcam can detect a person?
- Which will be the electrical mechanism of our laser?