SINGAPORE – Could an actor someday be wired up to experience the reactions and emotions of an audience – and respond to them in real time?
That is the goal of A Space For Digital Attunement, a brain computer interface developed by Ms Serena Pang and Ms Ng Wen Lei, both 38.
It currently exists as a helmet prototype that makes use of sensors to project feedback onto a screen, but Ms Pang, a performance studies researcher and an actor herself, believes it will one day allow theatre practitioners to connect better to audiences.
The prototype is part of the Arts x Tech Lab showcase, launched on Tuesday (Feb 15) by the National Arts Council (NAC) and its technology partner, Keio-NUS Cute Centre.
Arts x Tech Lab is a platform for the arts community to explore technological applications in fields such as literature, music and dance. It taps on technologies such as virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI).
A panel of technology and culture sector experts selected 10 projects – by teams of various sizes – from 135 entries last year to be developed as prototypes.
The selection was based on the potential of the project for further experimentation as well as the participants' readiness to conduct practical experiments.
NAC deputy chief executive Lynette Pang said the 10 teams were provided with $1,000 to work on their ideas during the developmental phase and up to $30,000 for prototype development.
The prototypes are now on display till Friday (Feb 18) at the National Museum of Singapore to potential investors and the public.
Other prototypes on display range from an AI music partner to Folko, an audio-based, shared storytelling app.
Mr Christian Teo, 31, one of Folko's creators, described the app as a way of collectively shaping the narrative of the art form of storytelling in the digital age.
NAC's Ms Pang said: "The inaugural edition of the lab has met NAC's expected outcomes, and the council intends to continue supporting such labs for the sector in the future."
Where: Gallery Theatre, National Museum Singapore, 93 Stamford Road
When: Till Feb 18, 10am to 7pm daily
Admission: Free
Artmotion Asia
