PROJECT 02 → Overload: The Paralysis of Pressure



2024.06 - 2024.09




PROJECT INFORMATION


Inspired by the theme of sleep paralysis, I decided to explore why I frequently experience this condition. I remembered a particularly challenging week—the last week of my undergraduate studies—when I had sleep paralysis nearly every day. To understand the connection between my stress levels and the condition, I organized the events of that week into a schedule.

In this project, I created an interactive installation inspired by stress: I have a full schedule, and I made a visualization of my schedule for the week. I also created and edited a video of my schedule and used TD to create pressure cascading video effects for the video. I connected a visual schedule with pressure sensors. When I placed various sticker notes with events written on them on the schedule, the connected video would switch to different effects. The more sticker notes there were, the more distorted the video effects would become, which would trigger people to think and reflect on life.


BACKGROUND




INTERVIEW




CONCLUSION


  • Stress is positively correlated with sleep paralysis.

  • When a person sees images that are more impactful or impressive during the day, they are more likely to recall those images at night when they sleep and even leading to sleep paralysis.

  • People are prone to sleep paralysis when they are in a constant state of stress and anxiety and when there is an event worth worrying about.


ANALYSIS | Data Recording

I wrote down as much detail as possible about everything that happened that week, including no matter how trivial it was. I divided the entire page into seven vertical bars to represent the seven days of the week, and then started organizing the events in chronological order.

Combining the form of things and my current stress level, I have organized the following series of patterns through the categorization of information (on the right)

CONCEPT

The interactive installation is inspired by the phenomenon of sleep paralysis, and in particular as a metaphor for the immense pressure caused by a hectic schedule. When the sensor is pressed, the pressure points created by overlapping events trigger a tangible reaction, symbolized by ever-changing video effects. This visceral experience reflects the growing mental stress caused by people taking on too many responsibilities, leading to a paralysis in which reality becomes distorted or out of control.



MIDEA


Sticker Notes

Carry a variety of everyday events/tasks
Pressure Sensors

These sensors are placed under the stacked events. The physical act of pressing the sensor simulates the build-up of stress in life.
Video Effects
Ever-changing visual effects correspond to different levels or types of stress, thus exploring the senses of how mental stress can change perception.

Busyness
A daily video of a schedule-related routine, focusing on scene changes and the stacking of daily tasks
Rapid Eye Move
The video is added with a shaking effect to simulate rapid eye movement, and the video is projected onto a pupil-like device to express daytime memories flashing back in the hippocampus
Stress Visualize
The distortion effect of the video represents the burden of stress


PROCESS | Making Agenda




PROCESS | Video Making


I use my phone to film a lot of video s of my daily life. I edited these videos to create a video that captures the busyness and anxiety of my last finals week before graduation.

I made a circular mask for the video to reflect the relationship with the naked eye.

Making different effects to the video

Level I 




I added black stripes to the video and the occasional distorted ripple effect to mimic the sensations that appear when you have ringing in the ears and see spots.

Level II




This is a double vision effect, which represents the illusion of double vision that people experience when they are under stress and overworked.

Level III



Here I added effects such as infrared rays and ripple squares to simulate the effect of a person being very confused due to accumulated stress.
Aduino Coding


Aduino Connecting



Connect Pressure Sensor and TouchDesigner



PROCESS | Installation Making



PROCESS | Machine Setting



PROCESS | Sticker Notes



FINAL | Exhibition


Testor_Demonstration
Self_Demonstration