Entangled Destiny
2023
Interactive installation
P5.js + Touchdesigner + Ableton
The New School Innovation Center Quantum Design Jam
Our exploration delves into the concepts of superposition and entanglement, drawing a metaphorical parallel between these quantum principles and the
intricacies of human interaction. In this context, we view individuals as qubits. When strangers meet, do their fates become entangled?
To foster this intimate exploration, we created a compelling environment within an enclosed indoor space, allowing participants to engage with their rendered body silhouettes through real-time visuals.
We developed a Qiskit circuit featuring two qubits, representing the two individuals in our installation. To translate quantum states into auditory experiences, we utilized Ableton, converting the probability amplitudes from Qiskit operations into MIDI notes that form the musical motif of the installation.
Using p5.js, we designed a real-time mirror that pixelates the viewer’s face and overlaps their movements, visualizing their personal vibrations and wavelengths. To further investigate superposition—the idea that quantum particles can exist in multiple states simultaneously—we enhanced this mirror concept by creating a facial outline detection model using the ml5 library and face-api. This model, based on the SSD Mobilenet V1 architecture, accurately tracks facial features and was trained using the WIDER FACE dataset.
Incorporating body tracking through TouchDesigner, we employ two webcams to capture participants' silhouettes, which are then integrated into a dynamic, noisy visual backdrop. By using Chroma Key techniques, we isolate and project only the body silhouettes, adjusting for varying lighting conditions and participants' clothing colors.
Our installation features two separate p5 sketches projected onto a wall and two additional TouchDesigner visuals displayed on a central screen. When participants face the wall, they perceive themselves in a superposition of multiple states. Upon turning 90 degrees to face the center screen, they enter a realm of entanglement.
To enrich the auditory landscape, we utilize left and right audio channels to represent the states of each qubit. During superposition, each channel plays unique, randomly generated music, symbolizing the multitude of individual states. Conversely, during entanglement, the Qiskit-generated musical motif is looped, echoing the correlated quantum states.
During testing, we observed a fascinating phenomenon: participants, without direct interaction, often mirrored each other's movements. This observation informed our arrangement of the music motif, which reflects the correlated states experienced during entanglement. Sometimes the audio channels align perfectly, while at other times they diverge, illustrating the complexity of their interactions.
Ultimately, our installation captures participants in superposition as they first encounter each other, and once they turn towards one another, their quantum states become correlated—entangled—despite being separated by a translucent screen.