Punch Line
"Punch Line" is an interactive project that delves into the complexities of social expression and governmental influence in public spaces. It seeks to explore how people adapt their communication based on their perception of comfort, safety, and oppression within their environments. Designed as an immersive installation, the project uses visual and interactive elements to provoke thought about societal rules and their impact on personal freedom.
Hardware Integration
The technical backbone of "Punch Line" combines physical sensors with dynamic feedback mechanisms. An Arduino is connected to a capacitive pressure sensor, which was chosen to enhance user interaction by using a human-shaped sensor for intuitive engagement. Light bulbs represent environmental states—green for comfort, red for danger, and blue for deceptive peace where hidden tensions exist. Simultaneously, an AI sentence-generation tool outputs contextual dialogue, adding a conversational layer to the experience. This integration of hardware and AI ensures a multisensory and thought-provoking interaction.
"Punch Line" Significance
The goal of "Punch Line" is to address the subtle yet significant impact of oppressive rules and regulations, particularly those that restrict freedom of expression. By simulating how people adapt their behavior and speech under varying degrees of pressure, the project sheds light on the ways individuals navigate restrictive environments. Inspired by the limitations of direct discourse on social media, where dissent can lead to censorship or account suspension, "Punch Line" offers a creative avenue to express and explore these ideas. It underscores the importance of freedom, transparency, and the resilience of human expression in the face of adversity.
