Shibu

Japanese Fan Dancing in Augmented Reality

Gloria Yan
MArch II 2023
Shaoyu (Aelin) Li
MDes Narratives 2024
Chang Wu
MArch II 2024
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1 This is the final product during which we invited Becky to dance with us.

Inspired by traditional Japanese fan dancing Shibu, also known as Senbu, the real-life dancing program captures hand movement and renders the motion of a fan. Based on the speed of the dancer’s movement, the fan opens during high-speed movement, tracing a smooth and silky surface in the air; during slower movements, the fan closes, as is represented by the boxes. Several versions of Shibu were tested out: one is based on a given speed, and one renders open-fan motion as a uniform loft surface. The final product calculates the average speed of the dancer’s hand movements and depicts open-fan motion in an amplitude modified by speed.

Project video
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2 Motion graphic.
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3 Traditional Japanese fan dancing scene.
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4 Becky’s dancing trajectory viewed from the phone.
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5 Group members testing the logistics of the fan opening-closing movement.