YogAnimals: Interactive Installation Merges Yoga, Nature, and AI for Children
The "Yoga and Other Animals" exhibition at the Man and the Living World Children's Museum showcases YogAnimals, an engaging installation created by designer Michal Rinott in collaboration with the Kadar Design and Technology Center. This interactive experience invites children to engage in movement, nature, and wellness through guided yoga sessions. It offers twelve poses, such as cobra and downward-facing dog, accompanied by interactive projections that react to the children's actions. As they strike poses, their projected images may take on animal characteristics, complemented by sound effects and ambient audio. MediaPipe AI assesses body positions, while TouchDesigner converts this data into animated visuals, fostering collaboration and peer learning among participants.
Key facts
- YogAnimals is an interactive installation by designer Michal Rinott and the Kadar Design and Technology Center.
- It is developed for the Man and the Living World Children’s Museum as part of its “Yoga and Other Animals” exhibition.
- The installation draws on ancient yoga origins, where practitioners observed animals and plants, translating their movements into poses like cobra, tree, crow, and downward-facing dog.
- The designers studied each pose in detail, including body position, gaze, muscular effort, and stretches.
- Children see themselves projected as stick figures and are guided through twelve yoga poses.
- The system uses MediaPipe AI to analyze body positions and joint angles, and TouchDesigner to generate animated responses.
- Successful poses trigger real-time visual effects like eagle wings or a dog's head and tail, and animated animals.
- The installation encourages self-paced practice and peer learning.
- Animal sounds and ambient audio enhance the sensory experience.
Entities
Artists
- Michal Rinott
Institutions
- Kadar Design and Technology Center
- Man and the Living World Children’s Museum