The participant enters the coffin-like box, the lid is closed and locked. The only source of light is a small monitor located above the participant’s face. The participant’s mobility is highly constrained, except for speech which requires him or her to create a psycho-dynamic relationship with a digital entity. The digital entity is represented by audio wave forms (visually and audibly).
The user communicates with this entity through a voice input device. A speech recognition module contains logic necessary for computing answers. Different answers lead to different audio responses, which the user can both hear and see in the form of sound waves. The experience of interacting with the machine relies on forging an understanding of the entity’s communicative limitations. The casket is unlocked upon what the entity determines as a successful, or meaningful conversation. The nature of this confrontation is one that requires the participant to understand that they are dealing with a machine that is confined by logic and rules and codes, set by its program. The participant’s reactions are displayed on a video monitor.
