"Digital Wheel Art is a rare and uplifting example of how the tools of technology and art can be combined in new ways to help unlock hidden creative talents, providing those with physical challenges, who are so often left behind, a dynamic and powerful new vehicle for self-expression." - Kathleen S. Wilson (VP, Creative Director, Viacom Interactive Services)
Digital Wheel Art is an interactive system that helps individuals with disabilities express themselves in artistic ways. It also gives general audiences an opportunity to explore and rethink disabilities through art.
Keywords
Assistive Technology, New Media Art, Physical Computing, Nintendo Wii Remote, Art Therapy, Art Education
User tests with 16-year-old boy
Movie Clip
User tests with 16-year-old boy who has pediatric movement disorders at the Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center. He only could move his head to control his power wheelchair. (same video in YouTube)
"Digital Wheel Art is the best example I've seen in a long time of how technology can enable and empower personal and artistic expression. It proves, in a truly elegant and emotional way, that physical limitation need not be a barrier to creative expression." - Nancy Hechinger (Adjunct Professor, New York University)
Personal Statement
The idea of this Project began in the fall of 2005 when I saw the joy on the face of a young boy with severe physical impairment as he played a video tracking game “The Reach Project” presented by Marianne Petit. The game was designed to be able to play while remaining on the floor but at one point the boy suddenly stood up. A simple interactive video tracking technology encouraged kids to move their bodies and gave them a lot of joy. This is the reason why I took an assistive technology class the following semester. When I was seeking a project idea on assistive technology, I visited a high school for students with disabilities on Long Island. I met a boy who had cerebral palsy so he used a power wheelchair and showed a jerky movement but he was eager to take photographs. He was excited by all the words related to this such as camera, flash, Canon, Sony, album, taking a picture, etc. After much trial and error, I designed an adaptive digital camera interface by hacking a remote controller of a digital camera to make it possible to attach various switches which could be manipulated by head, foot, hand, or finger. It allows students with various disabilities to take photographs. I took the kid on a photography tour around the school and he took pictures of various objects such as his therapist, hallway, classrooms, and a picture on a wall. Then he stopped and took a picture of a board that had stars that children wrote their wishes on. He seemed to concentrate trying to take the best possible picture. He said to his therapist that he was getting closer to his own wishes to be a photographer. I can’t forget his huge smile.
Audience
Young people with physical challenges, Art therapist, General audience who want to experience disabilities
User Scenario
1. watch a 1~2 min project video documentation
2. move a wheelchair to draw paintings
General audience version at ITP Show that people can experience disabilities
Implementation
Power wheelchair (normal wheelchair for general audience), IR LED, Nintendo Wii Remote, ZigBee, C++/OpenGL programming
More Movie Clip
Playback- The drawings can be saved. The saved drawing data includes the actual brushstrokes of dynamic drawing process so it is expected that we can have a profound understanding of creative moments. (same video in YouTube)
Although he knew how he could use the drawing tool, he asked me many questions about it to understand the details and created innovative user method that I didn’t expected. (same video in YouTube)
Conclusion
In this project, I successfully provided alternate methods of self-expression for people with physical disabilities. Because I designed the system while considering a variety of disabilities and locations so that a wider range of users can easily use it. Since it is based on computer technology, new functions can be added easily. Also, the replay features of this project allow for profound understandings about the creative process of art as opposed to just seeing the final products. In the end, I have transformed a wheelchair from a practical tool that assists disabled people and that at times is also a symbol of stigma into a tool for self-expression and art-making.
