danceroom Spectroscopy: Interactive quantum molecular dynamics accelerated on GPU architectures using OpenCL
David R. Glowacki, David P. Tew, Timothy J F Mitchell, James Price, Simon McIntosh‐Smith · Bristol Research (University of Bristol) · 2012
danceroom Spectroscopy (dS) is an interactive audiovisual installation and performance tool built from algorithms commonly used to simulate and analyze quantum molecular dynamics. Using an array of up to seven simultaneous depth sensors, dS literally interprets and renders humans as energy landscapes:. The result is an interactive system where movement is interpreted as perturbations in a virtual energy field. This interpretative leap (i.e., imagining humans as energy fields) allows users to perceive the emergent physics arising from their movement within a real-time simulation of an ensemble of atoms comprising an atomic liquid. Graphically, users perceive this interaction via projections of their energy field embedded in a simulation of thousands of interactive atoms that fluidly react to the real-time motion of their fields. Sonically, we have implemented a set of analysis algorithms that detect transient structures within the ensemble dynamics, package the data into appropriate structures, and send it to an electronica musician. This allows users to hear the sonic effect of their field perturbations within the atomic nano-physics. dS has recently been featured at the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad and the Barbican Arts Centre.