At once casual and precise, these preparatory drawings by Eric Daniels (top) and John Benjamin Filson (bottom) reveal the task of integrating complex components into a unit that sits seamlessly against the wall. The Nest Learning Thermostat brings advanced interaction design to a basic home device. The rotating interface recalls the classic design of Henry...
A collaboration between Parsons The New School for Design, Tellart, and mono, SoundAffects was a recent experiment that used the sights and sounds of NYC's Fifth Avenue to generate digital music and video. The wall was covered in sensors that absorbed all kinds of data — color, temperature, proximity of passersby, cell-phone interference — and...
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...
The Devastating Effect of the Tsunami in Sendai, Japan, on March 11th, 2011 The horrifying images on television of the earthquake and tsunami that afflicted the Japanese coastline last Friday remind us of the fragility of the civilization that we have developed on our planet, and show the enormous power of nature. Professor Shinichi Takemura...
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...
Tangible Earth, the interactive globe now on view here at Cooper-Hewitt, engages the sense of touch to create a feeling of connection between people and their planet. Lots of designers today are exploring ways to enhance digital devices with touch. For example, MIT Media Lab’s OnObject system can turn any object into a tactile interactive...
We’re thrilled that Alberto Alessi will be giving a presentation at the Museum on Monday (22nd) evening! He is the ultimate mediator between designs that can succeed commercially as well as expressing artistic values. What’s more he is an engaging presenter with an impish sense of humor. I was at the opening of...
Why? The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) sponsored research for this configurable bionic-arm prototype, which mimics the speed and dexterity of a natural limb. Neural-integration strategies are being tested to control the arm and restore sensory feedback, from injectable myoelectric sensors that transmit signals instructing movement to muscle reinnervation, allowing for thought-controlled prostheses.
