CYCLES:
A SLUMBER SLEEP EXPERIENCE

INSTALLATION IDEA & CONCEPT
CREATIVE & ARTISTIC DIRECTION
GRAPHIC DESIGN // ANIMATION

FREELANCE
JAPAN
2024

An audio-visual art experience on the nature of sleep. First exhibited at Pacifico Yokohama, CYCLES was born from a collaboration with the SMS Sleep Science Lab at ETH Zurich and Tohoku University.

In early 2024, I collaborated with a research team from ETH Zurich and Tohoku University on a unique project. Their creation, the Somnomat, was a groundbreaking robotic bed designed to revolutionize sleep studies. To showcase this innovative technology and capture the spotlight at the ICRA Expo in Yokohama, I envisioned and created an immersive art experience that would not only captivate visitors but also effectively communicate the Somnomat's advanced features.

PREFACE

The resulting project, titled "CYCLES: A Slumber Sleep Experience," was an immersive audio-visual journey through the various stages of sleep. This meditative experience, designed to act as a tranquil oasis amidst the bustling expo environment, utilized animation, light design, surround sound, and the bed's movements to create an abstract and mesmerizing spectacle.

Exhibition Poster

Developed at the ETH and Tohoku University, the Somnomat is a novel robotic bed that provides translational movements along the longitudinal axis. It integrates sensors to report the users movements, and sleep patterns. Additionally, polysomography devices and other recording tools can be connected for synchronized measurements.

The challenge was to Create a booth that attracts and captivates a large number of visitor of the ICRA Expo in Yokohama, while also showcase the advanced technological features of the robotic bed.

THE CHALLENGE

Video Advertising 01

To achieve these objectives, I designed an immersive audio-visual experience that incorporates animation, light design, surround sound, and the bed's movements, creating a captivating journey through the different stages of sleep cycles is shown on a circular screen hanging from the roof.

The outcome is an abstract and meditative voyage titled
"CYCLES: A Slumber Sleep Experience."

This booth, was prominently showcased at the ICRA Expo in Yokohama, providing a quasi sleep oasis for visitors weary from the busy expo environment.

THE SOLUTION

Installation View Inside

Inspired by the mythical Sandman from European fables, who lulls people to sleep with sand, this experience uses the motif of sand particles weaving through each stage. By utilizing these to visualize brainwave patterns, the experience offers a unique visualization of sleep, transitioning from the calmness of non-REM stages to the surreal dreamscapes of REM sleep. Our innovative approach garnered significant attention for the Somnomat team at the ICRA Expo and earned recognition in the industry leading IEEE Spectrum Magazine.

THE SOLUTION

Video Advertisment 02

INSTALLATION VIEW NREM 01

Installation View & excerpt from Scene “NREM 01”: The noise pattern that drives the sand particles derive from the theta waves that appear during the first stage of the sleep cycle

INSTALLATION VIEW NREM 02

Installation View & excerpt from Scene “NREM 02”: The noise pattern that drives the sand particles derive from sleep spindles (12-16Hz) that appear during the second stage of the sleep cycle

Installation View & excerpt from Scene “REM 04”:
The REM Sleep Sequence opens up a portal into a surreal dreamscape weaving influences by Dali and M.C. Escher together