Kehan Chen.
All work

Interactive installation · Creative technology / 2026

From Here Onward

An avatar for the places you want to go.

A graduation installation for children whose everyday activities are limited by chronic illness, grounded in the experiences of children with ITP. Participants create and paint an avatar, explore a panoramic destination, and add their portrait to a shared journey.

Qwen · OpenCV · React · Three.js · Gesture Interaction

MY ROLE
Interaction & Experience Design
MY CONTRIBUTION
Experience and interaction design, visual design, frontend / backend development, and installation integration.
From Here Onward installation with the main interaction screen, shared map, and physical character displays
From Here Onward · Exhibition installation.

One character. A complete journey.

An orange button begins the experience. The same avatar carries the participant’s appearance and drawings from the first scan to the final photograph.

  1. Start
  2. Scan
  3. Doodle
  4. Choose a destination
  5. Explore & photograph
  6. Join the shared map

Make it yours, then take it somewhere.

Qwen extracts appearance information from the camera image to configure the avatar. Drawing, destination selection, and head movement give participants direct control over what happens next.

SCAN · Appearance information sets the avatar’s hair, skin tone, and clothing.
SCAN · Appearance information sets the avatar’s hair, skin tone, and clothing.
DOODLE · Pressure-sensitive strokes become the shirt’s texture, with color selection and undo.
DOODLE · Pressure-sensitive strokes become the shirt’s texture, with color selection and undo.
MAP · Pen input selects a location and matches it to available panoramic imagery.
MAP · Pen input selects a location and matches it to available panoramic imagery.
EXPLORE · Head movement turns the view; the physical button captures the avatar in the scene.
EXPLORE · Head movement turns the view; the physical button captures the avatar in the scene.

In the exhibition.

Visitors draw on the tablet and watch their characters update on the main screen. The camera, physical buttons, and second display bring the full interaction into one installation.

The installation in use · Exhibition footage.
Drawing directly onto the avatar’s clothes.
Drawing directly onto the avatar’s clothes.
Visitors at the drawing station.
Visitors at the drawing station.
The main interaction and shared photo map.
The main interaction and shared photo map.

Leave a portrait on the shared map.

The final photograph joins earlier visitors on the second screen, making each individual journey part of a growing collection. Physical character displays carry the same visual world into the exhibition space.

The final output · A portrait and destination on the shared map.
The final output · A portrait and destination on the shared map.
Physical character display.
Physical character display.
Character models in the exhibition setting.
Character models in the exhibition setting.

Tsinghua University graduation project · Advisor: Professor Yingqing Xu.
Avatar modeling and optimization: Mingmei Xia. Community support: ITP Home.