Eight Interactive Horses

2023 | Hong Kong Palace Museum, Hong Kong

Eight Interactive Horses
Eight Interactive Horses
Eight Interactive Horses
Eight Interactive Horses

Project Overview
The installation, titled Eight Interactive Horses, features mythological steeds animated through line-drawn visuals based on motion capture data from real horses. These animations are derived from Giuseppe Castiglione’s artwork One Hundred Horses, incorporating an inversion of the original black and white colors from the sketch. The behaviours of the animated steeds are informed by meticulous observations conducted at a riding school, where actual horse interactions were studied, enhancing the authenticity of their movements.

Technical Narrative
Projected onto a 10-meter-wide screen, the animated horses interact in real-time with visitors, responding to their presence, location, and movements. The installation is equipped with sensors that track viewer positions and actions, allowing the horses to wander through their landscape and engage dynamically with visitors standing before the imagery. This interactive design fosters a rich, immersive experience, inviting participants to explore their relationship with the animated steeds. Continuous refinement of the programming enhances audience engagement, driven by ongoing analysis of viewer interactions to further improve the overall experience.

第一部分:項目概述
這項裝置名為《八匹互動駿馬》,呈現以線條繪製的動畫神話駿馬,這些動畫源於對真實馬匹的動作捕捉數據。動畫設計取材自郎世寧的作品《百駿圖》,並在原始素描的黑白色調上進行了反轉。動畫駿馬的行為模式根據馬術學校的詳細觀察而來,通過研究馬匹的互動來提升其動作的真實性。

第二部分:技術敘述
駿馬動畫投射於寬達十米的屏幕上,並與觀眾進行實時互動,回應他們的存在、位置和動作。裝置配備了感測器以追蹤觀眾的位置與行為,使得駿馬能在虛擬景觀中自由移動,並主動與站在畫面前的觀眾互動。這種互動設計營造出豐富的沉浸式體驗,邀請參與者探索自己與動畫駿馬之間的關係。隨著不斷優化的編程,觀眾的互動性持續提升,透過對觀眾行為的分析進一步改善整體體驗。

Principal Investigators: Jeffrey SHAW, Sarah KENDERDINE

Collaborated institution: The École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland, VFXNova

Partner: The École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)

Date: 2023

Team: eM+ (hardware and software developer), Leoson CHEONG (software developer), Ching LEE (Installation)

Hardware: Four ultra-short throw projectors, Four front-rear projection screens, Windows PC workstation

Software: Unity3D

​2023.07.03 - 12.31​
Grand Gallop: Art and Culture of the Horse, Hong Kong
​​​Palace Museum, Hong Kong, China

Bringing the Palace Museum's treasures to life. (2022, July 28). Discover HKBU, Hong Kong Baptist University.
https://www.hkbu.edu.hk/.../0728-bringing-the-Palace-Museums-treasures-to-life.html

Photos | Hong Kong Palace Museum: Reshaping history with art tech. (2022, June 30). Lifestyle, Dot Dot News.
https://english.dotdotnews.com/.../AP62bd43a6e4b0adad9d46dcf0.html

​Hong Kong Palace Museum