FANTASTIC
1.Introduction
Nowadays, fan culture has become a popular topic. Especially, K-pop raised a wave among the world. For example, G- dragon, a member from one of boy-group in South Korea, has 13.2 millions followers in Instagram1. And his group, Big Bang, had 31 concerts in Asia in 2016. Approximately there are 45,000 people in each of their concert.
3. Proposal
Design Question
Can we design a close real-time interaction for fans with their idols, even make fans be part of the show. Which may provide fans a strong sense of belongs to her idols?
Initial Schematics
I want to use fans or their surroundings' datas to interact with idols or their surroundings' datas or elements of stage.
My initial idea is to make a wearable tech for idols that can collect datas from fans, and this tech can change based on those datas.
Audience and experience
K-pop fans
They will use my design in their idols concert or show.
4. Precendts
4. Precendts
2. Research
There is a complete and strict system to make a K-pop star. And there is a strong competition within K-pop industry. According to a survey, around 40 new rookies debut every moth in South Korea. There are 39 groups and units debuted in 2016.
K-pop fans have strong obsessive enthusiasm for idols. Social scientists believe the sense of attachment to idols the one element that account for such obsession. While fans watch their idols on television they create a one-sided relationship between their idols and themselves.
As we can see, the majority of K-pop fans age from less than 19 to 29, and the main are female.they are at the age to make psychosexual development. Manly handsome K-pop stars can meet their fantasy.
Fans always has a stronger desire to interact with their idols especially during the real time performance.
Right now there are some interactions happen during the concert.
Fan-chant is a normal interaction for fans. They will repeat some part of songs to give feedback to idols. Also light stick is another support stuff. Fans call it "light ocean". It can also be part of performance for idols.
Fans Side
1. EXO Official Stick Light
2. Light me up (android app)
3. PixMob.
This translucent silicone bracelet make audience have the possibilities to become the concert lighting and provide them with a more interactive experience in concert. This wristband have high brightness LEDs that controlled by an infrared signal from a central control system, a battery and a motion sensors.
So the LED also can display dynamic light show just as the application I mentioned before do. But wearing this wristband give people a secure to wave and release their passion.
Idol Side
4. Voice-activated interactive garment
5. Interactive 3D Printed Wearable Clothes
Stage elements
6.Dialtones
7.Loren Carpenter Pong Experiment
5. Initial Sketch
Fans have a application that can connect with idols garments. LEDs embed in garments change based on fans wave movements.
1.What kind of data I can collect during the performance?
Fans: sound, wave movements, heartbeats, humility, temperature, light;
Idols: movements, heartbeats, sound;
2. What kind of interaction can happen in stage?
Light changes, sound changes, garments changes for idols, installation changes on stage;
3. What is the scale of the performance?
big outdoor gym; big indoor gym; small indoor stage
4.How to transmit information?
bluetooth(30-300), wifi(1000), zigbee, sound, light;
6. Prototyping
1. First Prototype
Firstly I used Processing to build a simple Android application that can communicate with Arduino via bluetooth.
The first prototype achieve the technique function that LED can controlled by wave movements.
I also found optical fiber can be great material to convey light, I planned to use this material on garment.
After user test and communicating with some K-pop fans, they gave some feedbacks:
1. It is a very exciting things for fans to have such connection with idols.
2. Fans don not want to interrupt idols' performance.
3. Garment is not a general object for all concerts because stage customs match with concert concept.
4. It is impossible to achieve one fan to control one LED on idol body.
5. How can fans realize they actually control LED on idol body?
6. It would be great that fans can choose LED shape and color.
2. Second Prototype
I decided to change garment to a decoration or pattern that can be added to garment. So this would be more universal and general than garment. I also decided this project is used for encore part of concert. Because encore is the interaction period for fans.
About the esthetics, I decided to use strings with thin wood. Fans can customize their own pattern through application.
I laser cut some pattern
3. Final Product
To make this pattern light and easy to put on I changed Arduino to Nano. Also I make some part of LED gradually light on and off based on wave rhythm. Some part of LED will quickly react to wave movements.
4. Demo
7.Major Major
About Major Major, I printed out a human-size K-pop idol and cut foam board as his shape. I put a jacket on this foam board and add my product on this jacket. Also I used two computer to loop play a concert noise sound to make a concert environment.
I met with some K-pop fans and leader of fan club. They all think this new system has a great potential in K-pop concert. But it need to be tested in a real concert. There are many details to polish. For example, how can fans see such interaction in a very big scale concert.