Cell is a a Kinect-based video installation piece by collaborators James Alliban and Keiichi Matsuda. It is project about online identity, says Matsuda. It began as a conversation about how people represent themselves on the Internet. "The idea of the 'digital aura’ became central to the project--a cloud of information that is associated with us, our virtual double," he says. When visitors enter a room rigged up with Cell, keywords float out of the air and attach themselves to an individual. They follow you around as you move through the area, like a virtual mirror of your reputation.
Technically, the project expands the limits of what the Kinect can do. Matsuda says the decision to use multiple Kinects allowed for a bigger play area. Microsoft supported the endeavor, putting the team in touch with Matchbox Mobile who built a custom openFrameworks add-on for the project. They intend to release the library and sourcecode for free. In the meantime, they are accepting opportunities to mount the installation in different venues.
