This one pretty much does what it says on the tin. The face-morphing, augmented-reality app you see here is the brainchild of New York artist Karolina Sobecka, who calls the interface All the Universe is Full of the Lives of Perfect Creatures.
The name may be a mouthful, but the concept is totally brilliant in its execution. Step in front of a mirror and you are greeted by a three-dimensional, ghastly looking animal head that mimics your movements and facial expressions. Writes PopSci’s Rebecca Boyle:
You get a different animal every time you walk in front of the mirror, and the animal’s facial expressions mirror and play off your own. Step back and the ghostly wolf flattens its ears; curl your lip and watch it bare its teeth; laugh and an evil, evil goat laughs with you.
Viewed from an angle (like we see in the video), the animal avatar appears to simply float in space; but position yourself in front of the mirror and the hovering head takes the place of your own.
“The familiar is transformed into the uncanny,” explains Sobecka, “prompting us to see the mechanics of perception, interaction, and relationships with others anew.”
That, and the incredible potential that this technology has for scaring peoples’ pants off — can you imagine a theme park funhouse full of Perfect Creature mirrors?
[Spotted on Popular Science]
