Octocom

Photo description: Installation side view

Octocom is an interactive installation that explores alternative methods of communication by requiring participants to synchronize their biofeedback in order to transmit and receive messages. The project addresses the limitations of digital communication, which lacks the nuanced emotional cues present in physical interactions—facial expressions, body language, and vocal intonations that help us connect with others' emotional states.

Inspired by Octavia Butler's writings, I designed a biometric feedback system that modulates audio clarity based on pulse synchronization. The installation features a series of organic tentacle-like forms that function as both microphones and speakers, serving as metaphors for biological connection. To send a message, a participant inserts their finger into a speaker-tentacle, which detects their pulse and begins recording an audio message. The receiver must then synchronize their own pulse with the sender's by inserting their finger into another tentacle. When the pulses align, the message plays clearly; when they don't match, the audio becomes increasingly distorted.

This creates a communication system where successful message transmission depends on the receiver's ability to attune their physiological state to match the sender's emotional rhythm.

Photo description: Installation full scale

Octocom was exhibited at the Transpositions group show, featuring works of 15 emergent multimedia designers. The project represents an early exploration into non-traditional communication methods, investigating how technology can facilitate deeper human connection by requiring physical and emotional synchronization rather than simply transmitting information.