As a photographer, I am inclined towards lens-based imaging. Because of this, the use of computer vision piqued my interest after being introduced to us earlier in the semester. In turn, I have decided to center my final project around the use of computer vision
Concept:
I will look to create a digital mirror which is, at first, heavily abstracted and almost visually illegible. The user is prompted to take a picture of themselves with their phone using the mirror. After raising their phone, the program will detect its presence and make the digital mirror clearer.
The work aims to highlight the common subconscious desire many of us have to take pictures of ourselves in reflective surfaces, in which case the affordance of any reflective surface becomes that of a mirror. Based on this, I present this work with the question – what if there was a mirror made only to take selfies with.
p5js and Arduino:
Naturally the computer vision, programming and ml5 implementation will all happen on p5js. I initially struggled to come up with how Arduino can be incorporated. However, considering the work’s purpose is to allow users to take selfies, I thought of wiring up a ring light (or any small, soft light source) to the Arduino in order to enhance the user’s experience. This light would be turned on only if a phone is detected by the program. In order to ensure functionality, I would need to connect the circuit to a stronger source of electricity than my computer. I also need to look into the different options that would allow me to connect the light to the Arduino physically.