Technology that stays in the background

Screens in museums often compete with the art. In 2026 I designed a gallery concept where the technology only appears when you want it. My guiding words were subtle, elegant, timeless and calm: the interaction should strengthen the work, not distract from it.

The visit has three phases. Rest: you only see the artwork. Presence: after a few seconds of standing still, a soft invitation appears on the wall beside it. Choice: you pick the story behind the work, a short video of the artist or a suggestion for another work, and a circle of light on the floor guides you there.

How it works

In my design, each artwork gets a Sensor Pod: an enclosure with an HLK-LD2410C 24 GHz mmWave radar and an ESP32-C3 Super Mini. Unlike a normal motion sensor, this radar also notices someone standing still, and its range can be limited so it only reacts close to the work. The ESP32-C3 sends each detection wirelessly to the Gallery Hub.

The hub is a Raspberry Pi 4 with a second ESP32-C3 as receiver. It projects the interface for that artwork in the tone of the wall, and reads hand gestures from a webcam, so visitors choose without touching anything.

From storyboard to hardware

I worked from the visitor inward. First a storyboard of the full flow, then the interface: thin gold outlines, few words and always a way to skip or go back. Then the hardware: a pod enclosure with a cable channel and a wall plate, and a parts list for one hub with five pods. I visualised each step with generative AI to judge the atmosphere early.

What I learned

This project taught me restraint: the best interface here is one you almost do not notice. Next I want to build one real pod and test how long someone should stand still before the invitation appears.