Royal College of Art graduate David Hedberg conceived the Smile TV, an interactive television that works when we’re smiling. By combining facial recognition technology and image manipulation built inside of a retro-style CRT monitor, the label “Smile to watch” gives the viewer an ultimatum; only when we smile – and for as long as we smile – can a clear broadcast be sustained.
The level of smile directed towards the TV dictates the level of distortion affecting both image and audio. Instead of taking reception for granted, the TV relies on the viewer to display its content.
“Bad reception used to be associated with the poor technical performance of an antenna”, says Hedberg. ” Today with information so widely accessible, often at the palm of our hands, the question is no longer if we can receive, but whether we are receptive. By expressing that we like something, we have very much become antennas ourselves – transmitting the content on to somebody else. This TV installation elaborates with facial recognition technology and a last-decade TV set to re-consider viewers engagement and how content is accessed.” he adds.
all images and video courtesy of DAVID HEDBERG