Tessellator project invites users to participate in a exploration of human vision and perception. This handheld console experience leverages the natural phenomena of afterimages, which are created by the overstimulation of the rods and cones – the light-sensitive cells within our eyes. Through the handheld console’s bright LED display, we present a variety of simple geometric patterns. These patterns, when viewed for a certain length of time, generate afterimages that linger in the viewer’s sight, opening a unique dialogue between the eye and the brain, as they navigate the residual traces of light.

The main interaction begins when users take control. They are given the opportunity to manipulate the interface, generating new images on the LED display. This action creates an interplay between the afterimages previously perceived and the new patterns forming on the screen. As users modify the displayed images, they essentially ‘paint’ with their own afterimages, intertwining their physiological visual experience with digital creation. This research project offered us insight into the workings of our own vision.