State-of-the-art Technology

State-of-the-art Technology

By Skye Szymanskyj

What is the technology?

Advantages of this technology

Disadvantages of this technology

E-Traces

E-traces is a wearable pair of technologic pointe shoes allowing the movement of dancers to be captured and transformed into digital pictures using a mobile application. A small device is attached to a ballerina’s pointe shoes and tracks every move they make, turning their arabesques into abstract digital renderings. Lesia Trubat, the Spanish artist whose idea this was, graduated Pompeu Fabra University (UFP) in Barcelona during 2014. Trubat, obtaining a degree in design, is interested in both graphic and product design projects where the development can be technological but with an emotional sense.

Disadvantages of this technology include:

- Are not currently available for purchase

- Could injure a dancer if they fall on the device

- May have some technological issues

- Basic knowledge of dance, ballet in particular, is needed

Advantages of this technology include:

- Dancers can analyse and interpret their own movements

- A dancers movement can be compared to others and have correction made if needed

- May be used with any form of expressive motion

- Can be used for self-learning or showing the steps to a dance class

- Useful to podiatrists

- Can determine reasons for damaged feet

What is the technology?

Cost associated with this technology

Bibliography

Captivated by dance, ballet in particular, led to Trubats focus on the pointe shoes worn by ballerinas. E-traces were created in collaboration with Lilypad Arduino, a set of sewable electronic pieces designed to help build soft interactive textiles, enabling the pressure and action of a dancers feet to be recorded.

As E-traces are not available for purchase, finding an overall price was difficult. The Lilypad Arduino technology used to recorded the movements of the dancers is estimated to be $20 and pointe shoes can range anywhere from $75-$100. As this technology comes with the mobile application there would be some extra cost included for that too. It can be safe to say the estimated overall cost of E-traces when they’re available will likely be more than $100, this includes: a pair of pointe shoes with the technology already added to them, the application and any extra production fees.

• LilyPad Arduino. 2016. LilyPad Arduino. [ONLINE] Available at: http://lilypadarduino.org/. [16/05, 17/05].

• Engadget. 2016. Arduino sensors let ballerinas 'paint' with their pointes. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.engadget.com/2014/11/10/e-traces-arduino-ballet-pointe-shoes/. [16/05, 17/05].

• . 2016. Trubat's E-Traces Pointe Shoes Are the Coolest – Dance SpiritDance Spirit. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.dancespirit.com/news/e-traces-pointe-shoes/. [16/05, 17/05].

• Arduino - Home. 2016. Arduino - Home. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.arduino.cc/. [16/05, 17/05, 18/05].

• designboom | architecture & design magazine. 2016. lesia trubat's ballet shoes electronically trace the movements of dancers. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.designboom.com/design/lesia-trubat-e-traces-ballet-shoes-phone-app-10-24-2014/. [16/05, 17/05, 18/05].

• SELF. 2016. Wearable Tech Device E-Trace Draws Ballet Dancers' Movements - SELF. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.self.com/flash/technology/2014/11/wearable-tech-device-e-trace-draws-ballet-dancers-movements/. [17/05, 18/05].

• Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers. 2016. Ballet Slippers That Make Drawings from Movement | Make:. [ONLINE] Available at: http://makezine.com/2014/11/06/e-traces-ballet-slippers-that-make-drawings-from-the-dancers-movements/. [17/05, 18/05].

• E-TRACES, memories of dance - lesiatrubat. 2016. E-TRACES, memories of dance - lesiatrubat. [ONLINE] Available at: http://cargocollective.com/lesiatrubat/E-TRACES-memories-of-dance. [13/05, 17/05, 18/05].

• Mail Online. 2016. Pointe shoes turn a ballerina's movements into digital art | Daily Mail Online. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2822099/Innovative-new-pointe-shoes-turn-ballerina-s-movements-unique-works-art-digitally-tracking-dancing.html. [17/05, 18/05].

• Kim Lachance Shandrow. 2016. These 'Smart' Ballet Shoes Digitally Paint Dancers' Fancy Footwork. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/240368. [17/05, 18/05].

• Mediplacements - High-tech ballet shoes trace physical movement. 2016. Mediplacements - High-tech ballet shoes trace physical movement. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.mediplacements.com/article-801760915-high_tech_ballet_shoes_trace.html. [18/05].

How is it being used within the industry you have chosen?

Conclusion

How is it being used within the industry you have chosen?

Recommend 2 ways your chosen technology can be applied within other industries or other applications within your chosen industry area as this technology evolves.

The information provided by E-traces can also be displayed in a graph format allowing further comparison to be made based on the type of movements and how they’re executed, with corrections of the steps and body positions taking place. This device could also be useful to podiatrists who wish to study the impacts certain sports, or dance, has on the feet, providing a way to see what exactly dancers are doing that is or may cause damage.

E-traces have made a huge difference in the dance industry, through the way we use/ capture movements, and will continue to make a difference as this technology evolves. Currently e-traces are not a vital aspect in this industry as it does not change the way people dance but adds a different perspective on it. This may/hopefully will change in the future, turning e-traces into a major part of how dance is expressed.

E-traces technology can be used in a number of other industries which are movement/ motion based enabling podiatrists to determine how much pressure is being placed on the feet, where that pressure is being placed and possible causes to injured feet. This technology is also being used in all styles of dance allowing abstract pieces of artwork to be created by everyone.

This new technology is the start of a whole new world in the dance industry. Once the data is recorded it can then be shown graphically and even be customized to suit the individually user. Through different functions of the app provided, the user can view their movements in video format, can extract digital images and even print them. This allows the dancer to either interpret their own movements, correct them or compare them to those of other dancers.