Please enjoy this video with sound
The objects and materials we interact with each day hold certain inherent qualities and characteristics within our minds, most of which we take for granted. For instance, we see a tennis ball and understand it to be round. We know that they are meant to bounce, and when we toss it to the ground, it will return to roughly the same height. This has been conditioned in our minds over years of experience, and our brains need not figure this out again each time.
But what happens when the function or outcome of these objects is different than what we expect. How does anticipation effect our experience with an object?
A handgun has one function at its core: to fire a projectile. At first sight, we know a bit about the object. It has a very present weight to it, a cold touch, and an intimidating, powerful feeling surrounding it. When you pull the trigger, we know that a projectile will fire out of the end of the barrel. Almost exclusively, that projectile is used to hurt others.
Enter the Light Cannon, a weapon of mass enjoyment.
The Light Cannon at its core is a modified toy gun. It is painted and weighted to emulate the feeling of a firearm. These properties translate through, even though it is clearly on the closer end of science fiction.
We understand its form and basic function at first sight.. Or so we think.
Inside the gun is a small, but powerful Qumi Projector. Hooked up to the trigger is an analog button outputting MIDI data, interfacing to a Livid Instrument Brain v2.
The Light Cannon is wired to a laptop, running through a program called Touch Designer. When the trigger is pulled, it presses the button, telling Touch Designer to instantly launch 1 of 10 random videos, that are then run back to the projector, and shot out of the barrel.
The animation has an accompanying custom sound, that is played through a powerful hidden speaker.
Additionally, there is a small vibration module (the ones you find in video game controllers) wired into the handle, that gives the gun an unexpected kick back.
Anticipation controls so much of what we do. Anticipation of how we believe and expect an object to react and function.
When that expectation is obscured, especially with something as emotionally powerful as a firearm, the result can become a lighthearted, joyful experience.
