Research Project
Blindfolded in the Air: Towards the Design of Interactive Aerial Play
A mixed-reality headset application used during aerial acrobatics, suspended off the ground in a harness, that switches between showing and hiding the performer's view based on their body's orientation. The study found this reduced social and visual distraction, encouraging performers to focus inward on movement and breath.
Abstract
The intersection of aerial acrobatics (movement on a suspended apparatus where the performer is off the ground) and interactive technology remains an underexplored area in HCI. In this autoethnographic study, we investigate the interplay between augmented eyesight and proprioception in adapting to the suspended environment. We developed a motion-sensitive blindfold mixed-reality headset application that enables wearers to transition between visibility and darkness based on their body’s orientation while rotating in a two-point harness. Analyzing videos, somaesthetic maps, and interviews, we observed that our design reduces visual and social distractions, facilitating inward focus on movement and breath. However, acclimation to both physical and mixed-reality systems is necessary for people to interact comfortably. The findings extend our understanding of designing interactive real-time visuomotor couplings between movements and mixed-reality in suspended environments, offering four themes and six design considerations to support the active body, aiming to enrich the possibilities for augmented aerial play.
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