ALAVs 2.0.

Seoul is awfully far away but if you've got the chance to be in Korea, check out Fabrica. I've been waiting for you, curated by Andy Cameron, Silvia Marini and Ann Poochareon at the Triad New Media Gallery until December 17.

Still in Seoul, but at the Art Center Nabi until December 30, Connected, an exhibition curated by Suhjung Hur. Ann wrote a fun report of the show (where she and Mark Argo are showing Footprints). She seems to have fallen in love with ALAV 2.0 and i can't blame her.

These Autonomous Light Air Vessels communicate the concept of connectivity among people, objects, and the environment. Visitors can use their phones to influence the behavior of the ALAVs by starting conversations and building closer relationships with them.

2.0 builds upon the first ALAVs version and introduces a new, larger flock with more complex behaviors and interactions.

The Interactive Voice Recognition (IVR) system allows mobile phone users to engage in a conversation with the blimps, affecting both their own and the blimps' behavior. People can carry on a dialogue with either the entire group or an individual.

The ALAVs have the following predefined behaviors: flocking, feeding, bread crumbs, sour milk, hide, scatter, courtship, guardian, bump, call back and the "happiness factor."

The "happiness factor" of the flock is set by indirect interactions. Each participant (whether they decide to be a friend or a foe) will effect the overall evolving group behavior referred to as the "happiness factor."

The "happiness factor" adjusts accordingly to people's participation. On one of the spectrum, if the 'happiness factor' is "friendly," the group is closer to the ground, more chatty, and with consistent light activity. At the other end, if the 'happiness factor' reaches "foe," the group altitude rises overhead, they become quieter and blink their lights frequently.

A project by Jed Berk, Julian Bleecker and Nikhil Mitter.

Related: Powermoon, the Mascarillons and other inflatable creatures.

First image from jed eye roam's flickr stream.