SOMATIC CITY
Chicago

Bodies as Interfaces for Spatial Intelligence and Sensorial Stimulation

Organizer

Mirna Zordan, LeAnne Wagner, David Ramsay

Date

August 7–9, 2026

Location

DePaul University SPARK Center, Chicago, USA

#Embodied HCI
#Urban Biosensing
#Affective Computing

Cities are complex systems intertwined with their inhabitants at a visceral level. Over an intensive three-day collaborative research workshop, students and researchers from design, architecture, computer science, and engineering traversed the streets of Chicago equipped with synchronized biosensors. By tracking real-time electrocardiography (HR/HRV), electroencephalography (EEG), and galvanic skin response (GSR/EDA) alongside geolocated spatial paths, the workshop constructs a somatic portrait of urban experience—bridging embodied perception, physiological computing, and speculative spatial interactions.

From the walk to the prototype
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Day 1 · Biosensing walks

The first day was devoted to collecting data. Participants fitted wearable sensors, recorded a five-minute seated baseline, and answered a short questionnaire before setting out. They followed a set route in the morning and explored the city on their own routes in the afternoon. The recording workflow brought together heart activity, EEG, skin conductance, GPS tracks, and time markers. A short questionnaire after the walk captured how participants described their experience in their own words.

Days 2–3 · Data hackathon

Back at DePaul, participants used timestamps to align the recordings with their walking routes and exported the combined data as CSV files. Teams worked with those recordings and their observations to develop projects in TouchDesigner or code. The workshop ended with presentations and live demonstrations.

Four workshop projects
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Chicago Hologram

Hand gestures let visitors switch between a CTA train and the Willis Tower in a holographic display. Each model has its own soundtrack, while a wearable heart-rate sensor changes the motion of the blue waves behind it.

Chicago Particle Installation

Two visitors choose from seven Chicago locations. When they pick the same spot, their particles form an image of that place and trigger its audio. The image holds or scatters according to a pattern drawn from the team's EEG recordings.

Chicago Through a Circular Screen

A circular projection brings street-level footage of Chicago into the room. As the scene changes, a performer moves through the projection so that the image falls across their body.

Chicago in a Headset

Visitors put on a headset and reach into the space in front of them. A nearby monitor shows two particle views side by side for the rest of the room to follow.