Embodied Simulations of physical phenomena

Abstract

At the crossroads between computational physics, human-computer interaction and mediated performance, the present proposal aims at presenting the vast complexity of physical phenomena in an intuitive, embodied manner. Specifically, we created an interactive system capable of accurately simulating the rules of physical phenomena in game form. Through the game, participants perform a dance-like, analogue computing of the Ising model, a model frequently used for phase transitions. A smartphone-based system guides the participants in a playful manner by means of visual and aural cues. The system mediates the multiple interactions happening among actants in a way consistent with the physical model, therefore enabling an embodied simulation of the phenomenon.