Blink-controlled Beat Machines

Plink Blink is an interactive art installation that allows three participants to make collaborative music by blinking their eyes.

The idea is to create unconventional collaboration through an uncommon (and automatic) physical interaction. Drawing attention to blinking as the control system, it enhances the participant’s focus on an otherwise “unintentional” interaction. The work debuted at ACE (Advances in Computer Entertainment) 2014, and has been presented at ISEA (International Symposium on Electronic Art) 2015 and FILE (Electronic Language International Festival) 2015.

It is a collaboration between Ozge Samanci, Blacki Rudi Migliozzi, and Daniel Sabio (The Glad Scientist).

It uses a customized derivative of the FaceOSC OpenFrameworks code to accurately detect blinking, and then sends OSC messages to PureData where a sampling algorithm allows a customized selection of samples to be played by each individual participant. When each participant combines his/her sounds with the others in the room, it allows for creative collaboration and musical play in a unique way.