Drone Chi

Drone Chi is a Tai Chi-inspired human-drone interaction experience.

The experience begins with picking a drone, designed to resemble a flower, from a charging station, designed to resemble a vine. The drone is placed on the ground, takes off, and begins hovering in stillness at waist height.

With the hand pads, when both hands are oriented towards the drone, the drone glows with light. The glow diminishes if the palms point away.

In "lead" mode, the drone slowly flies in a circle. You follow the drone with the hands as the circles grow larger, aiming to keep the light as bright as possible.

In "follow" mode, you now control the drone – but you must do so with slow and focused movements. If you move too quickly, the glow dims, the drone drifts away, and you must recapture it.

Throughout the exercise, movements require coordination and focus. The glow signals the quality of the connection between the hands and the drone.

As a research project, Drone Chi reveals implications for human-drone interaction design and technologies, as well as methodological implications that consolidate elements from product design, experience design, engineering, and a philosophy of somaesthetics.

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