Mert Altinöz - Interaction Designer

mertaltinoez

GhostRider 2

BeGood

Vanishing Depths

The Sphere

InterMedianer:in

mertaltinoez

GhostRider 2

BeGood

Vanishing Depths

The Sphere

InterMedianer:in

mertaltinoez

GhostRider 2

BeGood

Vanishing Depths

The Sphere

InterMedianer:in

Vanishing Depths

Experience Design, Interactive Installation

Team

Altinöz Mert

Dreßler Ellen

Drießen Annika

Gieß Tom

Molinari Sarah

Mundigler Katharina

Weichsler Hanna

Altinöz Mert

Dreßler Ellen

Drießen Annika

Gieß Tom

Molinari Sarah

Mundigler Katharina

Weichsler Hanna

Role

Conception

Prototyping

Game Design

Development

Testing & Validation

Projection Mapping

Conception

Prototyping

Game Design

Development

Testing & Validation

Projection Mapping

Project Overview

Vanishing Depths is an interactive installation created for the fictional NGO Blue Balance, raising awareness about overfishing in Austria. Visitors use a real fishing rod to interact with a projected underwater world, where each caught fish makes the digital aquarium fade into grey, symbolizing the destructive impact of overfishing.

Challenge

Overfishing in Austria is an urgent but often invisible problem. Our challenge was to design an installation that makes this issue tangible and emotional, showing how individual actions affect ecosystems. The goal was to merge physical interaction, immersive storytelling, and visual impact into one accessible experience.

Research

Focus:

Endangered Austrian freshwater fish species (Stone Loach, Wild Carp, Sterlet, Bitterling, Grayling).

Insights:

One third of freshwater fish are at risk of extinction.
In Austria, 60% of native fish species are endangered.
For city residents, the effects of overfishing are abstract and often unnoticed.

Design Direction:

Create a gamified but serious experience that connects personal actions to ecological consequences.

Focus:

Endangered Austrian freshwater fish species (Stone Loach, Wild Carp, Sterlet, Bitterling, Grayling).

Insights:

One third of freshwater fish are at risk of extinction.
In Austria, 60% of native fish species are endangered.
For city residents, the effects of overfishing are abstract and often unnoticed.

Design Direction:

Create a gamified but serious experience that connects personal actions to ecological consequences.

Process

Concept Development:
Defined the installation as a digital aquarium projected inside a custom wooden frame, controlled with a fishing rod.
Prototyping:
Built cardboard and wooden mockups to test projection mapping, interaction, and user experience.
3D Modeling & Animation:
Designed fish and underwater assets in Blender, with swimming and catching animations, then imported into Unity.
Interaction Design:
A fishing rod with ultrasonic sensor and Arduino translated real movements into Unity via OSC. Catching a fish removed it from the scene and reduced overall color saturation.
Projection Mapping:
The Unity game was connected to Resolume Arena and projected onto the wooden frame. An anamorphic effect was used to stretch perspective correctly for the user’s position, creating a stronger sense of depth and immersion.
Integration & Testing:
Calibrated sensors, adjusted Unity camera angles, and refined mapping for smooth interaction and consistent storytelling.

Solution

Vanishing Depths transforms a simple fishing act into a powerful environmental message:

🎣 Physical fishing rod: intuitive lowering and cranking to “catch” fish.

🐟 Endangered species: five Austrian freshwater fish visualized in the aquarium.

🎨 Dynamic feedback: each caught fish makes the environment greyer and emptier.

🪵 Custom wooden frame: projection surface with anamorphic effect for immersive depth.

🌊 Seamless setup: Unity, Arduino, and Resolume combined to synchronize motion, sound, and visuals.

Vanishing Depths transforms a simple fishing act into a powerful environmental message:

🎣 Physical fishing rod: intuitive lowering and cranking to “catch” fish.

🐟 Endangered species: five Austrian freshwater fish visualized in the aquarium.

🎨 Dynamic feedback: each caught fish makes the environment greyer and emptier.

🪵 Custom wooden frame: projection surface with anamorphic effect for immersive depth.

🌊 Seamless setup: Unity, Arduino, and Resolume combined to synchronize motion, sound, and visuals.

Impact

Created a strong emotional connection: visitors saw how their actions directly destroyed the ecosystem. Made the consequences of overfishing visible and relatable. Demonstrated the potential of combining physical interfaces, immersive projections, and gamified storytelling for social awareness.

Learnings

Physical-digital balance:
A real fishing rod made interaction intuitive, but future versions need clearer feedback to guide user behavior.

Technical challenges:
Exporting assets from Blender to Unity and projection mapping required extensive iteration.

Immersion matters:
The anamorphic projection technique successfully enhanced depth perception, making the installation more engaging and memorable.

Physical-digital balance:
A real fishing rod made interaction intuitive, but future versions need clearer feedback to guide user behavior.

Technical challenges:
Exporting assets from Blender to Unity and projection mapping required extensive iteration.

Immersion matters:
The anamorphic projection technique successfully enhanced depth perception, making the installation more engaging and memorable.

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