Any views expressed within media held on this service are those of the contributors, should not be taken as approved or endorsed by the University, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the University in respect of any particular issue.
This is our installation material requirements list, including categories, descriptions, and prices. We have also embedded links.
We are planning to purchase materials for our installation online, such as resin, a heat gun, and other supplies. I would like to confirm whether it is necessary to request a receipt for each purchase, or if an online order confirmation would be sufficient.
For the lung component, we plan to use a hand-moldable resin that doesn’t require a mold, as molds are quite expensive. This resin can be shaped by hand and is also reusable. The cost is £6.5 per 100g, and based on ChatGPT’s calculation, we will need around 600g to create a lung-sized shell. So, we are tentatively planning to purchase six units. I’m not sure if we’ll need pigments, but I found some glitter options that we could consider if necessary.
For the plastic flowers, we will repurpose plastic bottles, which won’t require additional costs. However, we will need to purchase some tools to process them.
For lighting, I’ve looked into decorative light spheres and LED strips, which are quite affordable. The venue’s general lighting equipment can be borrowed via Book It.
“Breathing Blossoms”: An Immersive Meditation Installation
1. Concept & Inspiration
“Breathing Blossoms” is an interactive installation that explores the energy exchange between human breath and nature. Just as plants release oxygen and humans inhale it, this project visualizes breath through digital flowers that bloom and fade based on breathing patterns. It serves as a meditative tool, helping participants become more aware of their breath and enter a state of relaxation.
2. Interaction & Design
The installation consists of a digital visualization (TouchDesigner) and a physical setup. On the screen, flowers respond to breath—deep breaths create richer colors, longer breaths generate more flowers, forming an organic visual rhythm. The physical installation features static plastic flowers and a lung-shaped structure, which symbolize human respiration. While the flowers are currently static, future versions may integrate small motors or air pumps to enhance physical interactivity.
3. User Experience
Participants engage with the installation by focusing on their breathing. As they inhale and exhale, they witness their breath manifest as blooming flowers on the screen, reinforcing mindfulness. The ambient lighting and soft sounds further enhance the meditative experience, creating a calming and immersive atmosphere.
The installation has potential for upgrades, including: 1.Small motors to make flowers physically open and close.2.Airflow mechanisms to simulate lung expansion and contraction.3.Light projections that change intensity based on breath.
“Breathing Blossoms” bridges technology, nature, and human awareness. By making breath visible, it encourages mindfulness and self-awareness. Even in its current static form, the combination of digital interaction, physical presence, and atmospheric effects creates a deeply immersive meditation experience. Future iterations will further expand its interactive potential, allowing users to connect with their breath in an even more tangible way.
I want to make a touchdesigner connected with breathing data, which can be replaced by virtual data. The effect is that every time I breathe, flowers will bloom in the screen. The heavier the breath, the darker the color of the flowers, and the longer the breathing time, the more random flowers will be lost I can’t achieve the bloom for the moment, so I use flowers in a certain range of gradually larger to demonstrate the opening process, the model is imported.
I’m looking for flower forms and tutorials that can change size
As a healing project, I think there are a few things we need to add to our research and design proposal.
At this stage we lacked first-hand research to support our practical research, so I suggested that we set out together to find different audiences around campus to participate in the questionnaire for our project.
For the design of the healing room, we should add several aspects such as audience, user profile and healing effect.
Starting from the five senses of the human body, sight, hearing, taste, touch and smell, we should focus on visual, auditory and visual communication design, and sound healing design.
The rest of the three senses should be used as healing aids, and should be synchronized and complemented in the installation design.
In the later stages of the flower installation, I will incorporate the experimental installation art expressions that I have already tried in my undergraduate studies.
Based on this experience, I suggested to the team leader that we could make reference to the practical and inexpensive materials used in previous projects to prepare the installation art materials for the project.
I will use the following materials to aid in the expression:
1. Hot melt glue gun
2. plastic bottles
3. resin/uv glue
4. Hot air gun
5. food coloring
In practice, we should pay attention to controlling the heating time of the plastic and the way it is heated, and controlling the plasticity of the plastic sheet.
By combining the resin and the plastic sheet, we will be able to express our device in a more refined way.
After integrating the materials necessary for the expression, we combine them with technology.
Test content: Use of sound sensors
Test result: Success! The sensor senses well, the value changes significantly during the interaction and gives the correct display feedback.
Tester: li
Test date: 13/02/2025
Test: Temperature and humidity sensors and connection of Ardunio&TD
Test result: Failed. The direction of the sensor display is off, and does not read the temperature and humidity values but displays the distance values, and there are also errors in the combination of the two software, which need to be modified with the advice of professionals.
Tester: Li & Yixuan & Can
Records: Xinyi & Hefan
Test Date: 14/02/2025
In installation art, breathing and plants are more closely related, so it’s necessary to include plants in our interpretation of the concept of breathing, so after studying the artists’ installations, I think we can gain some insights from them.
Members: Yixuan Zhang, Can Huang, Li Lyu, Hefan Zhang，Xinyi Qian
Connection Test 连接测试
Tested Temp/Humid Sensor.
测试了Temp/Humid Sensor。
Issue: Data changes were detected, but the displayed value was “loudness,” and the signal variation was weak (power amplification might help).
有数据变化，但显示的值为loudness，且信号变化小（可以尝试功率放大）。
Solution: Consult GPT or reach out to Joe for further assistance.
询问GPT或者联系Joe寻求解决方案。
Visual Effects 视觉效果
img1: references for visual effect
Primarily abstract, encouraging any experimental or suitable effects (e.g., particles, organic abstract forms) to create a relaxing experience for the audience. Visuals should complement the auditory elements and are divided into two aspects:
Stable, pre-set initial image: Guides the audience’s breathing through smooth visual transitions, based on a 4:6 or 5:5 breathing pattern (undetermined)(LFO CHOP in TD can generate stable periodic signals).
Breathing-driven dynamic image: Changes according to the audience’s breathing with more noticeable variations (If the signal is weak, Math CHOP can amplify it; if unstable, Filter CHOP can smooth it).
The two types of visuals should be distinct but maintain a unified aesthetic. Considerations for color, graphical language, and transition methods between the two visuals should be explored.
1.Breath Interaction Device: A sensor is placed inside a portable/handheld container, allowing the audience to blow air in a comfortable position. (Providing cushions?)
吹气装置：将传感器放入可移动/手持的容器中，让观众以自身舒适的状态进行吹气。（提供坐垫？）
2.Main Installation: A breath-themed sculptural installation, combining plant and organ-like forms using lightweight, transparent, or semi-transparent materials to create an organic and lifelike effect. (Examples: Transparent resin + pigments for organ models; heat gun + plastic for plant-like structures.)
3.Lighting: Breathing lights / LED strips enhance the ambient atmosphere. LED strips connect the two installations or serve as decorative data lines, controlling the light variation speed (slow and smooth).
I used Noise to generate irregular shapes, allowing the flower to have an organic, natural boundary as it dissipates, rather than shrinking or disappearing abruptly. Compose is connected to Feedback, creating a layered effect that gives continuity to the flower’s fading process, as if leaving behind dust particles suspended in space.
Threshold serves as the main controller. I used two different Thresholds to process the image: one controls brightness, while the other determines the visibility range of the particles, making the dissipation process more refined. In the code section, I used op(‘constant1’).par.value1 – op(‘constant1’).par.value0 to compute a positive and negative variation, allowing the particles to dissipate progressively over time rather than following a linear transformation. During parameter adjustments, I discovered that when Threshold is combined with Feedback, the edges of the flower produce a ripple-like effect, as if it is gradually disintegrating, resembling dust scattering in the wind.
By continuously adjusting the Noise amplitude and speed, I aimed to create a more layered dissipation effect rather than an instant disappearance, making it feel more like a slow dissolution rather than fragmentation. The current dissipation effect already exhibits a certain degree of natural behavior, but some areas still feel too linear. In the future, I may introduce Flow Noise or Shaders to make the effect more organic.
