- Dancing Colors -

It's easy to fall into a habit of low physical activity nowadays. When that happens, it's hard to start being active again. Sometimes, the amount of effort we think it takes is so inconvenient and exhausting, we don't even try.

Yet, when we hear a familiar song at 100+ beats per minute, we naturally start moving. Add visual feedback tied to our movements and we move even more. Add competition and we will keep going well after we'd normally stop.

Dancing Colors is an experiment in ways to get people moving and have fun in a public environment.

This environmental augmented reality experience encourages strangers, friends, and family to "compete" in spontaneous dance offs.

As music plays, participants see their silhouettes pulsing to the beat on a wall. As they dance and keep to the beat, their silhouette changes color from red through violet depending on how well and long they can keep it up. If they dance well long enough, their silhouette turns becomes multicolored and turns into multiples so it feels like dancing in unison with themselves. It's a great way to have physical fun in a public setting.

This project was shown at the 2019 Ohio University Student Research and Creative Expo and won second place among Media Arts and Studies Graduates.