Personal Roving Mascot --
2015 / installation; interaction
Telepresence can transport us to somewhere we are not. Telerobots can extend our distant reach. Together they can provide us an abnormal sense of presence with other people, places, and objects. How can a costumed camera/actor augment a person's reality, their behavior, and how others see them? How do humans utilize the role of telerobot to develop new roles and points of access? How are tasks divided? How do tele-systems complicate networks, roles, and identities?
A Personal Roving Mascot [PRPM] is a tele-tour from the point-of-view of Minnie Mouse that explores the interaction and roles of operators, tele-humans, and viewers.
The tour requires:
1 Human PRM (Personal Roving Mascot):
The human rover must wear the mandatory Minnie Mouse mascot behavior augmenting uniform [1 mascot head, 1 red dress, 1 white set of bloomer, 1 pair of white gloves, 1 pair of red shoes] and communication chest harness [1 iphone running Google Hangout displaying PRM view for operators, 1 wireless speaker to transmit audio sent from operators]. The PRM must take on the role of Minnie Mouse and can explore anywhere and approach to anyone they would like. The PRPM cannot speak.
1+ Human Operator(s):
The human operators must stand in front of the control panel [1 tour map, 1 computer monitor running Google Hangout displaying the PRPM perspective, 1 Ableton Push midi controller to transmit Minnie Mouse audio clips used to communicate with whatever or whoever the PRM probes]. The operators control how the PRM communicates but does not control where the PRM goes.
