Perceptions of Human Shadow Manipulation as an Ambient Display

This paper explores the concept of using human shadows as an ambient information display. As shadows are an integral part of the physical world, consisting of non-illuminated and dynamic shapes, they provide a potential basis for the design of unobtrusive ambient displays. We created a set of artificial human shadows to explore the concept, and conducted a user study (n = 12) to chart perceptions on the idea. As salient findings, the concept was perceived as interesting, and provoked strong reactions during the user study, e.g. surprise, laughter, and, at times, the feeling of spookiness. Synchronisation of movements between the manipulated shadows and the physical world and the ability to visually recognize the human shape, even when distortions are applied, are essential for the user experience.