Benjamin Boateng-Owusu
Somewhere between UK and Ghana
Part electronic engineer, part project manager, part creative producer. Moving from driverless car system design to tech-enabled interactive installations
About Me
After a decade building safety-critical autonomous systems, I'm channeling that sensor expertise toward something different: playful, unexpected interactions that make everyday spaces more fun. Same technical foundation in radar, lidar, and camera systems—different purpose.
At heart, I'm someone who brings people together to make cool stuff—especially when it's a bit absurd. Music is my first love.
Common Themes in My Work
Focus areas:
- Playful Technology: Bringing fun, absurd, unexpected interactions to everyday spaces using sensor systems (camera, radar, lidar)
- Collaborative Creation: Bringing people together to build and create
- Cultural Amplification: Amplifying and packaging Ghanaian/West African art and culture for external consumption
- Creative Economy: Experimenting with different business models for the creative economy
Experience Highlights
Engineering Foundation
Engineering degree, then 10+ years designing and deploying driver assistance and autonomous systems for luxury automotive brands. Led multidisciplinary teams developing sensor fusion technology (radar, lidar, camera) deployed to 4.5+ million vehicles worldwide across three product generations.
Creative Production
Co-founded Owari Kids, an experimental children's media startup reaching 700k+ views. Explored character development and content formats while testing new production models. Produced music videos and short films.
Current Focus: Creative Technology
Applying autonomous vehicle sensor expertise to create playful installations. Exploring how radar, lidar, and camera systems can generate surprise and delight rather than just solve for safety.
Productions
Events, exhibitions, and creative experiences
- Spotlight: Photographic exploration of Accra's drinking spots as cultural landmarks and living urban archives. View presentation →
- The Gentleman Experience: Film screening exploring modern dating and relationship formation. View gallery →
- Kabom Event: Live celebration reimagining classic Ghanaian music for contemporary audiences. Read more →
Ideas I'm Exploring
Current explorations and works in progress
- Kabom: Experimenting with how old Ghanaian genres—hiplife, highlife, and old school gospel—can be evolved and packaged for the international market. Leveraging past cultural assets to develop unique creative offerings on a global stage. Read more →
- Installation Concepts:
- Soundscapes: Spatial audio installation where visitor proximity to sculptures shapes an evolving soundscape.
- Roundabouts: Exploring the unexpected beauty and chaos of Ghanaian road infrastructure through drone footage. Read more →
- Sensor-Based Installations: Ongoing experiments using camera, radar, and lidar systems to create unexpected interactions in public and private spaces.
Inspiration
Artists and studios whose work shapes my thinking
- Dries Depoorter: His clever use of technology to create unexpected social commentary and playful interventions inspires my approach to embedded systems.
- James Patten: Pioneer in tangible interfaces and interactive systems—his work shows how technology can feel natural and intuitive.
- Random International: Their large-scale installations that respond to human presence demonstrate the power of sensor-based art to create memorable experiences.
- Tous Les Jours: Creative studio that blends digital and physical experiences in unexpected ways, creating work that feels both technical and deeply human.
- MSCHF: Their absurdist approach to product drops and cultural commentary shows how playful provocations can spark conversations and challenge conventions.