Abstract

The core of the concept is to provide the users with a visualization of their personal inner light and the ability to transfer it to the Free Spir- its on stage when they need energy. Each spectator gets one and holds in their hands during the show. When the Free Spirits need help, the user is able to “stream” its light, having a visualization of his light going from his seat to the stage and lighting up the characters but losing a bit of his inner light .The inner light has to be streamed wisely: when used, it needs some time to regenerate. Spectators can collaborate: if a user has already sent to a character on stage a huge amount of light, another spectator can “recharge” with his inner light the one who is running out of it.

Concept

2017 Ciruqe du Soleil Show has the Light as one of the most powerful concept. Light, in the show, is the representation of the vitality and the positivity of each character’s spirit but it also is, in our interpretation, a metaphor of everyone’s Inner Light. The show itself can give the users the opportunity to have a personal reflection about his inner light and the use of it: each of them will receive a physical object with interactive properties that is a metaphor for their inner spirit. The goal is to lead the user to an immersive experience: playing an active role in the story while reflecting on their interpretation of their inner light, being part of the scenography too.

Interactive scenario

The system is composed by physical artifacts called Inner lights, able to translate the rewarding experience of “giving away” the personal vital energy.
The idea is to let the users live a similar experience of the main characters on the show, living a parallel and tangible experience during the show using the device as a metaphor of their real Inner Light.
The core of the concept is to provide users with a visualization of their personal Inner lights and the ability to transfer them to stage.

The light is a metaphor of vital energy, which is represented by a bright device. This device will give to the user, which has to take care and interact with it. The user has the opportunity to have a personal reflection about his Inner light and the use of it is magic, reflective and emotional.
The user can interact with the Inner Light, moving it toward the stage, in order to increase his inner light, or interact with other users get the devices close. More the spectator interacts with other people, the device will light up and more light can reach the stage.

The experience is both singular and collective: everyone is responsible for its personal use of the light, but the sum of it gives to the stage more lights and a magic effect.
The user can interact with the Inner Light, moving it in order to increase his light, or interacting with other users devices and moving the light through the stage. More the action is collaborative so more the spectator interacts with other people, the device will light up faster and more light can reach the stage.

Technology

In the context of the show the user has the opportunity to give away an amount of his inner light to light up the characters on stage (lighting up the scenography or their wearables), using the other spectators’ inner lights as a bridge to send the light to the stage. But the goal is also to engage and promote interaction among spectators: each inner light is able to light up other spectators’ inner light, just if put in proximity.

During the show of Cirque du soleil each users will be provided with an Inner light, the number of the devices that will be distributed corresponds to the number of spectators, and there will be a stock, in case of defective devices. On the stage free spirits are wearing something that can light up depending on the amount of light that audience will give to them.
Each device is composed by a 3d printed shape containing:

  • a photoresistor, able to detect light coming from the outside the device - an accelerometer, able to detect specific oscillation and gestures performed by the user handling the device itself
  • rgb led strips, able to get colors from 0 to 255 (in order to increase or decrease intensity of light)
  • rechargeable battery

The Inner Light will be produced in series and it will contain a small electronic board with a Bluetooth module that will send the signal to the direction, an accelerometer that will detect the gesture and will light up the led, a photoresistor that detect the light of the other user and eleven RGB LED neon stripes. The Led, like in the prototype, will be ten and their brightness will be based on the gesture and on the proximity of the other Inner Light.

Each physical device will be given to each user in the audience in the lobby, before going to the seats: each user will receive a device with a specific amount of light. Each device is initialized when delivered and starts being in function (increasing light and receiving light from other devices) just when the show starts

Each device lives in the hand of spectators during the show, but looses meaning after the show itself. After the show, the device turns off and is not able to show its functions anymore. Getting out of the audience, the users are asked to leave their devices into collecting boxes.