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about
Blobby is an installation and web work that uses webcam feed to transform user movement into organic blob-like silhouettes. Using MediaPipe’s BlazePose model, the system captures a user’s body contour as a set of points, which are then processed into a polygon. This polygon is gradually adjusted to appear less rigid, creating the desired “blob-y” shape. 

The installation invites participants to step in front of one of six webcams, where their transformed silhouettes are incorporated into an overhead projection. The projection uses a derivative of the Truchet tiling algorithm to turn each of the six blobs into their own ‘tiles’ that can be arranged side by side, generatively, to construct a larger overarching image. As participants move, their blob contours shift in real time to continuously create a new depiction. Each moment captures a fleeting collaboration of six individuals merging their forms into a dynamic and ever-evolving composition. 

Blobby uses contemporary technologies like machine learning and webcams to suggest that web identity can be fluid and unstructured—challenging the curated personas that dominate online spaces today.


A thesis project by Aditi Gupta

©Aditi Gupta
New York University
Integrated Design & Media (IDM) Graduate Thesis