An interactive installation by designer Michal Rinott and the Kadar Design and Technology Center, encouraging children to discover the connection between movement, nature and wellbeing through a guided yoga experience. Developed for the Man and the Living World Children’s Museum as part of its “Yoga and Other Animals” exhibition, YogAnimals draws on the ancient origins of yoga, where practitioners observed animals and plants, translating their movements into poses such as the cobra, tree, crow and downward-facing dog. For the installation, the designers studied each pose in detail, looking not only at body position but also gaze, muscular effort and the particular stretches involved. These physical characteristics were translated into interactive projections to guide children through the poses.
Inside the installation, children see themselves projected as simple stick figures before beginning to move. Twelve yoga poses are represented around the space, providing visual prompts. As a child successfully performs a pose, the system responds in real time, their projected body might grow eagle wings or a dog’s head and tail, while in other moments an animated animal enters the scene. Animal sounds and ambient audio add sensory dimension to the experience. The team used MediaPipe AI to analyse body positions and joint angles, allowing the system to recognise poses as they happen. TouchDesigner then translates this information into animated responses, dynamically controlling the entry, movement and exit of each creature. Children can practise at their own pace, while the installation naturally creates opportunities for cooperation and peer learning.
