Q-Uniform

Developed for IBM's Quantum Jam, Q-Uniform addresses the blurring boundaries of privacy and personal identity under the lens of post-humanist aesthetics. Quantum Cryptography is utilized to encrypt facial features of an individual, which is then translated and laser engraved onto textile.

COLLABORATORS
Firas Zedan, Ishraq Ashtarian, Rama Deshpande

ROLE
Design, Code

MENTORS
Russel Huffman, James Weaver, Paul Kassebaum, Brian Ingmanson

Traditional Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), originally theorized by Charles Bennett and Gilles Brassard in 1984, secures the exchange of encryption keys between parties, utilizing quantum mechanics to make any interception detectable. This project builds on this foundational principle by using QKD-secured keys to encrypt biometric data, specifically facial features captured with MediaPipe's Face Mesh technology.

The biometric data is encrypted using IBM's quantum computers through Qiskit software. We applied a Hadamard gate to set the particles into superposition, then used a barrier (which functions as a transpiler) to split the process into two situations: one with eavesdropping and one without. Each situation generated structured patterns according to our defined system. These patterns are overlaid and translated to create visual representations, which are then laser engraved onto wearable textile.

While current limitations of technology and materials restrict us to static representations, the project envisions a future where breaches in encryption dynamically alter the patterns on wearable textiles. This concept not only speculates on the potential for real-time, responsive encryption visualization on fabrics but also explores the implications of such technology in the realms of privacy, security, and personal expression.