The Biofeedback Heartbeat Dome installation was originally designed by siblings Lex and Sophi Kravitz for the Burning Man festival, August 29 – September 5, 2011 in Black Rock City, Nevada.

Nearly a year later, in 2012, the Biofeedback Heartbeat Dome installation was remodeled visually for a new space in the Viscusi Gallery at the New York Hall of Science for World Maker Faire. There, it won an Editor’s Choice award and was featured in a Popular Mechanics article. The  installation also traveled to 2 local high schools in 2012 and 2013 to be used as a science education piece, and was shown in an interactive way to fit those spaces.

As a new collaboration with artist Ryan Cronin, we hope to bring the Project to ARS Electronica and visually repurpose it to fit its newest space!

Project description
The newest installation is composed of five 2 meter tall individual blue painted cylinders. The viewer will walk in and sink into a bean bag chair, creating a feeling of intimacy, relaxation and ownership over the experience.

Hovering above each cylinder will be a helium filled inflatable cloud, equipped with beating LEDs, and a pulse oximeter finger sensor hanging down over the chair. The cloud will transmit audio to wireless speakers to play back the heartbeat sound inside the installation. As the viewer plants her feet on the ground and connects with the floating cloud, she will experience visual and aural simulations controlled by her own heartbeat, creating sensations of being lifted, mobile, and interactive; a weightless heartbeat floating above the ground.

Rendering of Biofeedback Heartbeat Project 

Photos of the finished project both at Burning Man and at the Viscusi Gallery.
2011 – Lex dusting off the solar panels

2012- Clean, serene and pristine and ready for Biofeedback activity

2011- Outdoors, Heartbeat electronics at night

The heartbeat electronics

2011- People interacting with the dome

2012- A costumed visitor interacts and gets a biofeedback experience