Project: Experiencing Photos Beyond Sight

Why This Idea?

Photography has always been a big part of how I see the world. From framing shots to setting grids and making reels, I love capturing moments. Street photography, especially, fascinates me—so much emotion, so many stories in a single frame.

But photos are just still images. The emotions behind them—the warmth of the moment, the movement, the atmosphere—stay locked inside. I started wondering, what if we could truly experience a photo instead of just looking? Even if we could relive just a small part of that moment, wouldn’t that be something special?

How It Works?

Turning Photos Into Experiences
I love photography, but sometimes, a picture alone doesn’t feel like enough.

Turn Photos into Music – Colors and temperature in an image could generate sounds that match the mood. A warm sunset might have deep, rich tones, while a rainy street could create soft, airy melodies.

Make Memories Shift – Instead of staying still, photos could slowly glitch, fade, or change, just like memories do over time.

Feel a Photo’s Emotion – A connected device could provide vibrations or haptic feedback based on the mood—soft pulses for happy moments, deeper sensations for intense ones.

Who Would Use It?

1. Students & creatives – To experiment with photos how memories and emotions can be felt, in a different format.

2. Photographers & artists – A new way to showcase work where photos become immersive experiences.

3. Travelers & explorers – Could capture a place, animal, building, with sound making it interactive.

4. Storytellers & filmmakers – To add depth to narratives, making audiences feel moments rather than just see them.

5. People with visual impairments – A way to experience photos beyond sight, through music and vibrations.

6. Museums & exhibitions – A tool to bring history, processes, messages to common public life.

This is still a work in progress, but the goal is simple: photos shouldn’t just be looked at—they should be felt, heard, and experienced. These are some rough ideas I’m exploring—there’s still a lot to figure out, but they open up new ways to experience photography.

A. Music from Memories

Some photos feel warm and joyful, others quiet and calm. What if a photo could create music that matched its mood?

• A camera could detect colors and temperature in the image.

• Bright, warm-toned photos might generate deep, rich sounds, while cool, rainy scenes could produce soft, airy melodies.

• Each photo would have its own unique soundscape, turning a moment into music.

Still to explore: Mapping emotions to sounds accurately and deciding how much control users should have over the music.

B. Moving Pixels – A Memory That Shifts Over Time

Memories don’t stay sharp forever—they fade, change, and sometimes come back in flashes. What if photos worked the same way?

• Instead of a still image, the photo could turn into a shifting pixel mosaic.

• The pixels could glitch, fade, or move when touched or viewed in different ways.

Still to explore: What kind of interaction makes sense—should the pixels react based on time, touch, or something else?

C. Feeling the Memory Through Touch

Some moments are light and joyful, others heavy and intense. What if you could physically feel a photo’s emotion?

• A camera could analyze the emotional tone of a photo.

• A connected device (like a phone or wearable) could respond with vibrations matching the mood.

• A happy moment might feel like soft pulses, while a deeper, more intense memory could create stronger sensations.

Still to explore: The best way to translate emotion into touch and whether haptic feedback should be subtle or immersive.

Turning Photos Into Experiences

These are just rough ideas for now—a starting point for exploring how photography can go beyond just sight. There’s still a lot to figure out, from the technology to the user experience. But the goal remains the same: to make photos something you don’t just see, but truly experience.

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Memory Bloom" – A Kinetic Photo Blooming Experience Concept:

A flower-shaped mechanical device that "blooms" open when a user places a specific photo (or clicks a button). As it blooms, it reveals a memory moment in multiple sensory layers—motion, light, sound, even smell (optional). It could be a personal moment like a birthday, trip, or childhood memory.

🔧 What it does: Starts as a closed flower or box.

When a photo is scanned or a tag is detected (like an RFID embedded behind a photo), the device mechanically opens like petals blooming.

Each petal can display a tiny screen, printed photo, or even abstract LED animations representing fragments of that memory.

A speaker plays associated ambient sounds (waves for beach, traffic for city, birds for forest).

An optional scent diffuser can release a memory-associated smell (rose for garden, vanilla for cake, etc.).

Light patterns and slow-motion mechanics enhance the experience.

Then it slowly closes back, like the memory returning to its safe space.

Interactive Wall Reference

Sensor

Component/Sensor	Purpose in Project	Functionality
RGB LED (WS2812)	Visual Feedback for Pixel Blocks	Lights up when pixel is placed correctly, shows image color, glows with animation
Ultrasonic Sensor	Detect User Presence	Triggers system to wake up, start animation or light effect when someone approaches
Temperature Sensor	Environmental Interaction	Adjusts color palette or mood lighting based on ambient temperature
Vibration Sensor	Tactile Feedback	Detects taps or shakes, triggers light/sound effects for playful interaction

testing puzzle mechanism

Final Project: PixelRelive – Magnetic Memories in Motion

Why This Idea?

Photography has always been a part of how I observe the world. I enjoy capturing small details, framing stories, and freezing time. But I began to feel that photographs, while visually rich, often leave behind the deeper emotions of a moment—the warmth, the quietness, the atmosphere. A photo can show us what was there, but not necessarily how it felt.

I started asking myself: what if a photo could be more than just a visual memory? What if we could experience a photo in a more emotional and atmospheric way?

That question led me to PixelRelive.

What Is PixelRelive?

PixelRelive is a low-resolution, pixel-based memory camera system. It captures photos—not to store them in a digital gallery—but to display them briefly on a physical LED matrix, offering a tactile and atmospheric way to relive a moment.

The camera uses an ESP32-CAM module to capture and save pixelated images onto an SD card. These images are then displayed on a detachable LED matrix placed behind a frosted acrylic diffuser. The result is a soft, glowing, pixelated version of the captured photo—something you can view not just as a record, but as a visual memory.

The physical form includes:

A camera-like body made using 3D printing and laser-cut acrylic parts.

A modular LED matrix display, magnetically attached and diffused for a subtle glow.

Touch-based interaction and SD card photo storage.

It’s not about high-definition output. It’s about atmosphere—how light and color can evoke a feeling.

Who It Is For

Students and creatives exploring photography or memory as a medium.

Photographers and artists looking for alternate ways to display their work.

Educators working on topics like perception, memory, or interaction design.

Travelers or storytellers who want to relive simple moments in a different way.

People with visual impairments who might engage with abstract visuals through light and pattern.

Museums or installations aiming to present memories or history as immersive experiences.

Why I Chose to Build This

This project allowed me to bring together what I enjoy most—working with light, thinking about interaction, building with electronics, and giving physical form to an emotional concept.

PixelRelive is more than a gadget. It’s a small personal object designed to slow you down, encourage reflection, and make you feel a memory—not just see it.