Image: Still image from playtesting YMOC Sketch 2: Overlap
Overlap is a two-person sketch. Each person is represented with their webcam and their pose keypoints from PoseNet. The webcam and keypoints are layered directly on top of each other. Each person sees only their keypoints represented in a curved figure layered on top of the webcam of their partner.
Image: Screenshot from playtesting Sketch 2: Overlap. Each person sees only their keypoints represented in a curved figure layered on top of the webcam of their partner.
Image: Still image from playtesting with Renee. She is in Argentina. I am in the US.
I playtested this sketch with Renee Carmichael. We spent approximately five minutes on the site together. She’s located in Argentina, and I’m in Vermont, USA. We both experienced little to no visible latency. She was using a MacBook M1/Chrome. I was using an MSI gaming PC/Chrome. Here are some notes from her feedback:
Image: Still image from playtesting with Renee. She is in Argentina. I am in the US.
While reflecting on Renee’s experience on the sketch I realized that she was having a different experience from me, as she was seeing my webcam and just an outline of her body. While in all the other experiences we playtested, we were sharing the same experience, in this experience we never saw the same images. It’s interesting that we shared the same space and were able to interact, but were receiving different information. In some way this echoes being in physical space with someone because you never see yourself, rather you only see the people with whom you are sharing the space.
Interestingly, while playtesting with Renee, I was not aware of my image at all, as I was not seeing it. It only occurred to me as I was reviewing the documentation that I maybe should be self aware as someone was viewing my image. This reminds me of Nuntinee’s feedback from playtesting sketch 1. Nun commented that she felt more free in the experience when we turned the video off (I shared this feeling). Do we feel more free, or more present, when we do not see our own image?
Certainly in physical space we spend most of the time not seeing our own image. We can see our own image when we look into the mirror. This act makes me self aware and certainly changes the way I feel about myself. For me, the act of self observation creates hyper self awareness. Could this be a large part of why Zoom calls are so exhausting? We not only have to pay attention to the content of the call, but we also have to be hyper self aware?
In the Jivamukti yoga method (through which I have my yoga teaching certification), we do not use mirrors while we practice. Yoga helps to get a person grounded in their body, whereas visual feedback takes a person out of their body. Thus the focus is more on becoming very close with each part of one’s body so they can feel where each part of their body (down to every last piece of hair) lies in space. We cultivate this awareness through honing our senses and awareness. Yoga is a personal practice, guided by a teacher. Conversely, as an acrobatics/performance instructor, I regularly suggest that my students record videos of themselves practicing. When learning a new acrobatics sequence there is often a large disconnect between what I feel I am doing, and what I am actually doing with my body (that toe never is as pointed as I think it is). The visual feedback from videos helps to train this awareness. I will continue to consider self awareness as I build additional experiences in this series.
