Wandering in the Unitary Qi
In ancient Chinese philosophy as depicted in "Zhuangzi," the concept of "Wandering" ( 游 ) represents a special idea, such as in "The Wanderer of the Boundless" ( 游无穷者 ) and "Wandering in the Unitary Qi" ( 游于一气 ) , expressing the free movement of the spirit and showcasing a transcendent state. This work uses an interactive narrative that blends reality and virtuality. Participants control an avatar in a virtual world, sometimes as a fish, sometimes as a butterfly, traversing an island with mountains and lakes. Simultaneously, a wearable device around the neck will "flatter" or "flap" in sync with the avatar's movements. The intention of this work is to blur the boundaries between reality and virtuality for the participants, achieving a state of "Wandering".
Group Project
Group Members: Haisong Xiong, Brendon, Huayu Qin, Chenzhen Zong
My Role: Group leader, Interaction design, Programming and Testing, Prototype making
Year: 2023
Location: Shanghai, China
"As for one who is charioted upon the eternal fitness of Heaven and Earth, driving before him the changing elements as his team to wander through the realms of the Infinite, upon what, then, would such a one have need to depend? " — Zhuang Zi
Inspiration & Research
Zhuang Zhou, commonly known as Zhuangzi, was an influential Chinese philosopher who lived around the 4th century BCE during the Warring States period, a period of great development in Chinese philosophy, the Hundred Schools of Thought. He is credited with writing—in part or in whole—a work known by his name, the Zhuangzi, which is one of the foundational texts of Taoism.
The phrase " 子非鱼，安知鱼之乐 " originates from the ancient Chinese philosophical text "Zhuangzi" by the Taoist philosopher Zhuang Zhou. It translates to "You are not a fish, so how can you know the happiness of a fish?" This dialogue, between Zhuangzi and his friend Huizi, explores the theme of subjective experience and the limitations of human understanding. Zhuangzi uses this allegory to express that one cannot fully comprehend another's experience or perspective, emphasizing the relativity and subjectivity inherent in all perceptions.
"The Joy in Haoliang River" by Wu Qingxia, created in 1973.
Research: How fish breathe in the water (the structure and function of fish gills)
The user inputs action commands on the computer, and Unity simultaneously transmits these commands to both the virtual side (Unity 3D) and the physical side (Arduino), controlling the movement of the first-person perspective in the virtual environment and the vibration of the wearable device on the physical side. When the user stops inputting action commands, the movement in the virtual environment and the vibration of the wearable device will also cease.
Interaction System
Wearable Interface Design and Prototype
Virtual Environment Design
Work flow: C4D + Houdini + Unity
We constructed a 3D model of an island with mountains and a lake using Cinema 4D and created dynamic water effects with the Houdini FX algorithm system. We then imported them separately into Unity 3D.
Testing
