Project

LaserWho

LaserWho is large-scale gesture-based installation of the Visual Who project that uses the LaserWall for display and input. Users place anchors, each representing a different topic relevant to that community, on the screen. The names of people who are particularly drawn to a topic flow towards the associated anchor, and the resulting animation reveals the structure of the community in terms of shared interests and affiliations. Although LaserWho uses data visualization algorithms and techniques, the feel of this installation is very different than the typical analytic application. The image is shown on a large, rear-projection screen and its input is via the natural, intuitive gestures of picking up and placing objects. Music accompanies the visualization: each anchor has its own theme and the changing state of the system shapes and modulates the composition. LaserWho has been shown at Opera Totale in Venice and in New Orleans as part of the SIGGRAPH 2000 Emerging Technologies exhibition.