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statement | technical statement | process
FRONT is comprised
of two inflatable plastic suits, to be worn by two participants within
a small arena. Each suit has two systems of air sacs, one for aggressive
and the other, defensive response. The level of each participant's
voice controls the inflation of their own aggressive sacs and the
defensive sacs of the other person.
The suits are made of thin polythene plastic sewn into sacs of varying
sizes and shapes, making up a suit that straps onto the upper body
of the participant. Air is pumped into and out of the inflatable sacs
in the suit through plastic pipes, using hacked hairdryers as fans.
A small microphone in the neck of each suit sends an audio signal
to a computer, which uses Geoff Smith's GetSoundInLevelXtra for Director
to monitor the volume of the sound coming from each participant. When
the volume exceeds a certain level, Director sends a serial communication
to a microprocessor which controls a motormind on each fan. The motorminds
normally keep the fans sucking air out of the suits, but reverse the
fans to pump air into the appropriate sacs when triggered by the microprocessor
to do so.