Jumping Rope

2005

Daphna Talithman (IL)
Sharon Younger (IL)
Orna Portugaly (IL)

Test your agility on the virtual jumping rope in the Museum of the Future! Your skill—or lack of it—will be the subject of pointed commentary by your digital playmates.

Take your place between the two rope-swinging figures projected on two monitors set up facing one another, and you’re ready to go. Since there’s no middle part of the rope and only its two ends in the hands of your virtual playmates can be seen, you have to use your powers of imagination and coordination to jump at the right moment.

There are three different scenarios with different virtual characters, each with its own personality, peculiarities and expectations, and they react accordingly to you, their real playmate. You get things started by agreeing to take part—what comes next will be an enjoyable surprise! One thing is for sure: it will blur the boundaries between the world of adults and the world of kids.

Motion tracking technology linked up with a video camera is utilized in “Jumping Rope.” This is how information on the success or failure of the rope-jumper is registered and fed into the system. Its assessment then serves as the basis of the reactions of the two digital playmates.