Blob Opera, conducted by hand
We hooked Google's Blob Opera up to a Leap Motion controller. Now anyone can conduct an AI choir with a wave of the hand.
Far Far Away Lab
Creative technologists
Google’s Blob Opera lets you make AI-generated opera with four singing blobs. Fun with a mouse — magical with your hands.
The idea
For the AI! exhibition at Technopolis we wanted visitors to feel how AI can be creative. So we replaced the mouse with a Leap Motion controller: raise your hand and the blobs sing higher, move it sideways and you pick another singer.
leap.on('frame', (frame) => {
const hand = frame.hands[0]
if (!hand) return
setPitch(blob, map(hand.palmPosition[1], 100, 400, 0, 1))
})“The moment people realise their hand is the conductor, they don’t want to leave.”
What we learned
- Show gesture hints on screen: people need a nudge to start
- Keep latency under 50 ms or the magic is gone
- Brand the experience so it fits the exhibition
