Avatar Machine Gives Different Perspective

Twenty-six year old design student Marc Owens has made it possible to live in a virtual world. Provided, that is, that you don’t mind having a camera attached to a tripod on your back. Owens has created the ability for a person to see themselves, as they move through their real environment, as a sort of gaming avatar by virtue of a carefully placed camera setup that creates the legendary third person view familiar to all MMOers the world over.

The project was born out of a desire to see how people behave if they view themselves as an avatar. Do they do things they wouldn’t normally do? Are their inhibitions lowered? Do they randomly start doing provocative dances on public transportation? Owens was curious to see if, when people are visually dissociated from their environment and their normal perspective, if they conduct themselves as many do in virtual environments: like idiots.

Have a look at the demo video, where Owens takes his creation to the techno-crazy streets of Harajuku in Tokyo.

Check out the Japanese gangters that look like they’ve stepped straight out of a performance of Grease on Broadway. Apparently they don’t take nicely to people taking attention away from their cool ‘dos. Mr. Owens better be careful, or they might hair gel him to death.

Via | Next-Gen.biz