The Megalizer is a sneaker that could put a few DJs out of business. The nearly invisible system of hardware and software allows a dancer to create live music with his shoes. The device uses Flash and Processing software, an xBee wireless module, and force sensors. Engineer Didier Brun wrote this blog post explaining his...
Cutecircuit’s M-Dress is a concept for a silk jersey dress that integrates a mobile phone. “Stay connected while remaining stylish.” Insert your SIM card in the slot underneath the label, and the dress will use your existing phone number. A sensor in the sleeve answers calls automatically when the wearer lifts an arm to the...
This is the fourth interview in Chapter 3 in my new book, Designing Media Bob Mason & Jeremy Merle, November 2008 Bob Mason cofounded Brightcove in 2004 with Jeremy Allaire. They saw the possibility of a complete end-to-end solution to deliver video from any creator to any customer, across diverse devices, allowing content owners to...
Matti Niinimaki’s Beat Blender is a device that puts a literal spin on familiar musical terminology. The modified blender allows the user to mix, blend, and chop sounds through a playful tactile interface that uses Arduino, RFID sensors, felted fruits and Ableton Live software. Watch the video below to see it in action! Select your...
Kevin Cannon & Ashwin Rajan’s Frontline Gloves are a pair of networked gloves that allow firefighters to use hand gestures to communicate wirelessly in low-visibility, low-oxygen situations. The design incorporates customized electronics based on the ATMega chip, a wireless Xbee module, a sonar sensor, ultra-bright LEDs and bend sensors. The gloves allow the wearer to...
Brooklyn-based design duo Felted Signal Processing creates plush, alien-looking synths and sensors that make noise on contact. Sisters Lara and Sarah Grant combine their skills in art, fashion and engineering to perform their outlandish experiments in “electronic textiles.” There’s a whole catalog of stretchy samplers and woolen warblers on their website, fsp.fm. A felted sensor...
The graphics indicate the melding of technology and nature I was in San Francisco last week to meet old friends from IDEO and Stanford, and while there I was privileged to give the inaugural lecture for the new Interaction Design Program at CCA (California College of the Arts). Students will start this fall, enrolling for...
The winner of the 2010 Interaction Design award is Lisa Strausfeld. Lisa Strausfeld is an expert at visualizing information. She specializes in digital information-design projects ranging from software prototypes and Web sites to interpretive displays and large-scale media installations for a range of civic, cultural, and corporate clients. Lisa has earned many Design Awards, including...
2010 was a year to remember for Cooper-Hewitt Members. Check out the 10 Membership Moments in 2010 slideshow below. Around town, Cooper-Hewitt Members were among the first to access fairs—from historic to contemporary design—New York Auto Show, ICFF, International Fine Art & Antiques Dealers Show, and IFPDA Print Fair. Throughout the year, Members took a...
