Q M Naushad
Interactive Media Artist Portfolio
interactive media artist tangible interfaces researcher new media enthusiast
Exhibitions: NYU Abu Dhabi
Category: Computational wearable
Technologies used: Arduino, p5js, sensors and electronics
The Happy Panda project is an interactive physical computing prototype designed to support mental health and alleviate anxiety, particularly during high-stress periods like college finals. Built using Arduino and p5.js, the system utilizes a pulse sensor embedded within a plush panda to track a user's heart rate and assess their anxiety levels. Depending on the readings, the desktop application guides the user through calming interventions such as breathing exercises, guided meditations, or affirmations, and concludes the cycle by having the user physically hug the panda—which triggers an animated response via embedded force sensors. The creators prioritized a soothing UX/UI experience by using anxiety-safe pastel palettes and rounded assets, while cleverly concealing the hardware and wiring inside the plush and a custom-built "backpack" to maintain a seamless, tactile, and comforting interaction.
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Exhibitions: NYU Abu Dhabi
Category: Computational wearable
Technologies used: Raspberry PI, , 3D modelling & printing, camera module, sensors and electronics
‘Behind My Back’ is a wearable system designed to explore how everyday accessories can integrate digital technology to enhance personal awareness and safety. Consisting of a crown and necklace, it uses a Raspberry Pi camera and proximity sensors to detect intrusive gazes or unwelcome proximity, triggering a glowing pendant that vibrates and emits light in response.
Inspired by the challenges women face navigating public spaces at night in Bangladesh, this project transforms traditional jewelry into an interactive safeguard while sparking conversations about societal accountability. Drawing from speculative design, Behind My Back reimagines wearables as tools for both personal empowerment and social commentary.
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Exhibitions:
Sweihan Dunes
Arts Center NYUAD
Interactive Media Showcase 2024
Category: Physical Computing
Technologies used: Feather M4 Express, CircuitPython, 3D modelling & printing, woodworking
‘The Eye of the Sands’ is a kinetic sculpture set in the desert. It stands guard– a mysterious, silent watcher. This ethereal installation pierces the darkness with its reactive glowing eye, nestled in a stretched membrane held taut between two illuminated pillars.
The eye at its heart serves as a powerful reminder that the seemingly barren landscape of the desert pulse with hidden life, watching and waiting as travelers pass through their realm. It stands as a bridge between worlds – the empty and the occupied, the passive and the alert – inviting us to reconsider our relationship with these timeless landscapes that have witnessed countless passages through their silent expanses.
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Exhibition:
NYUAD Arts Center
Category: Computational Media
Technologies used: OpenCV, Processing, Microsoft Azure Kinect, Ableton
Synchroscape is an interactive installation that transforms movement into music, inviting participants to experience harmony through synchronized motion. Using JavaScript and OpenCV models, the system captures silhouettes on a giant screen, generating sound based on their gestures—flowing seamlessly when they move in sync and creating dissonance when they fall out of rhythm.
Inspired by Myron Krueger’s Videospace, Synchroscape blurs the boundary between the physical and digital, turning bodies into instruments of collaboration. When participants connect by touching their fingertips, the system responds with visual and auditory transformations, reinforcing the power of presence and connection in shared spaces.
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