Headphones, blindfolds, blindphones..?
Blindphones is an experimental prototype for an alternative low-tech head-mounted display which enhances listening by impairing sight.
Inspired by the structures of plants, and employing sustainable, bio-based materials such as bacterial cellulose, it immerses the user in a world of music and choreographed eerie lights. Drawing from the psychedelic tradition of early VR art in this sonic piece, like in a sensory deprivation tank, the body floats weightlessly in a dark, quiet environment, and the mind is free to shift from a meditative state to a hallucinatory one.
This project was developed in the framework of the Ars Electronica Futurelab Academy 2018.
Credits:
Institutions:
Aalto University, School of Arts, Design and Architecture, Department of Media/MediaLab and the School of Chemical Engineering, Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, Biobased Colloids and Materials research group, Aalto Studios, Aalto FabLab.
Art and science collaborators:
Prof. Lily Dìaz-Kommonen, Prof. Orlando Rojas, Prof. Philip Dean, Luiz Greca, Janika Lehtonen, Solomon Embafrash.
Others:
Niklas Pöllönen (CAD modelling assistant), Philip Hector (design advisor), Joasia Cieslak (musician).
Website:
