The Light
Client
Axis Dance Company
Duration
January 2024 - April 2024
Services
UX Research and Design
Skills
User research, Prototyping
Context
AXIS Dance Company pioneers fully integrated performances, blending disabled dancers, actors, and crew across all levels. AXIS brings together disabled, non-disabled, and neurodiverse artists to create productions that challenge traditional perceptions.
AXIS seeks groundbreaking designs that fuse technology and artistry, redefining performance arts by empowering limitless expression.
As a small part of their vision, Axis Dance Company soughts innovative ways to enhance performance technologies that could extend and accentuate dancer movements, particularly for disabled performers.
The core challenge was creating a wearable technology that could dynamically respond to movement without providing physical support, instead focusing on artistic expression and movement amplification. Imagine this as “a technological extension” of the human body that responds to movement like a living, breathing artistic tool, transforming subtle motions into luminous visual experiences.
An experiment into tangible design in stage performance
Problem
Research
Key research questions included:
How can technology enhance rather than imitate dancer movements?
How can we create a performance tool for those with disabilities?
What are the tech and art form constraints?
Key Research Insights
A surprising insight was recognizing the significant movement complexity already present in disabled dancers' performances, challenging stereotypes about disabled people being more sedentary.
The goal was to find ways to accentuate that movement so that it demonstrates to the audience just how much is being done.
Ideation
We looked at the current forms of dance that “extend” the user in order to exaggerate and accentuate subtle movements. Our biggest inspirations were contemporary ribbon dancing and traditional chinese Shuixiuwu (水袖舞) which utilize fabric as an extension of the humanform. From this, developed the concept for an illuminated fabric that changes in response to the dancer’s movements.
Goals and
Constraints
Goal
The goal was to create a costume element/ stage prop that could dynamically respond to dancer movements, transforming physical motion into a visual light experience.
Metrics
Success metrics included:
Sensor accuracy in tracking movement
LED responsiveness to motion
Fabric durability
Aesthetic appeal of the light display
Constraints
Design constraints involved creating a lightweight, mobile device that could withstand performance rigors while remaining dancer-controlled and artistically expressive.
Design Process
Key design decisions included:
Fabric Selection and Crafting the Ribbon
Choosing a lightweight, translucent material that could elegantly diffuse light while remaining durable
01
Circuit Design
Developing a compact, mobile circuit that could map physical movements to RGB LED values
02
Stick Design and Fabrication:
Creating a hollow, lightweight stick that could store wires and house sensors while maximizing dancer movement and 3D printing for fabrication
03
For each decision, extensive material testing was conducted, considered multiple prototypes, and used iterative design principles to refine the approach.
Code Implementation
As per the circuit design, the main implementation goals are
Key Goals
To track acceleration and gyroscope data from the IMU sensor.
01
To combine the data collected from the IMU and map it to the values on the LED strip to control how the colors interact based on movement.
02
Testing involved capturing slow-shutter images to analyze ribbon movement, conducting multiple prototype iterations, and continually refining both hardware and software components.
Major changes included adjusting the LED strip's power source, refining the 3D-printed stick design, and iteratively improving code to better map sensor data to light displays.
Key feedback focused on improving LED power management, sensor placement, and ensuring the device's aesthetic and functional integration with dance movements.
Testing and
Iteration
Final
Outcome
The project successfully created a proof-of-concept illuminated dance ribbon that could translate dancer movements into dynamic light displays.
Moreover, our innovative approach extends beyond mere aesthetics; the core concepts behind this prototype can be seamlessly applied to larger areas of prop and costume design, promising endless possibilities for future shows.
Conducted extensive secondary research, including performance reviews and meetings with Axis Dance Company stakeholders to understand the target users and space better.
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