Ryota Kuwakubo’s Nicodama is a project that – to put it simply – puts blinky eyes on inanimate objects as a means of giving them personality. From the placard at the Ars Electronica Center: “Nicodama” combines findings from the field of behavioral biology (ethology) with technology and Japanese philosophy. The “Nicodamas” communicate with each other […]
Author Archives: leo
Blinking Chairs
Posted in animation, furniture, interaction, product design, surveillance
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3D-Printed Clock
At the Ars Electronica / MIT Media Lab exhibit in Linz, Peter Schmitt presented his work on mechanical systems made by rapid prototyping machines – so-called 3-D printers. He makes the interesting argument that by producing these intricate mechanical devices using a single process, manufacturers could forgo the need for low-cost assembly and instead manufacture […]
Posted in 3d, environment, fabrication, materials, product design, supply chain
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Electronic Pop-up Book
One of my favorite pieces at this year’s Ars Electronica / MIT Media Lab exhibit is an electronic pop-up book made by Leah Buechley’s student Jie Qi of the High-Low Tech research group. She has layered the traditional materials with copper films, conductive ink and lights and speakers to add a digital dimension to the […]
Posted in 2d, 3d, fabrication, interaction, materials, open objects, soft/glowing, tangible
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Corrugated Cardboard Cubby
I saw this beautifully crafted electronic parts drawer cubby at Distance Lab the other day – a great example of upcycling old cardboard packaging into a very useful piece of furniture that feels and works much better than the cheap plastic alternative.
techniques for soft electronics
How to get what you want is a rich resource for anyone working in wearable technology – whether you’re looking to to knit your own stretch sensor,
Posted in fabrication, fashion, free & open, futurecraft, materials, open objects, soft/glowing
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automatic garden
There are a number of plant–growing appliances out there meant to sit on your countertop and look nice next to your iPod – but not the Omega Garden Carousel. This industrial hydroponic behemoth packs 1,500 sf of farming into 150sf of floor space with cylindrical stainless steel cages that take turns soaking in a nutrient […]
Posted in fabrication, food, lighting, livingbreathing
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ticketing cops
At this year’s Future of News and Civic Media conference I learned about The Open Planning Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to civic empowerment through public space and transporation reform. They have produced a number of interesting web-based projects to catalyze change in the urban landscape, including ‘Uncivil Servants,’ a website for citizens to report […]
Posted in blogogracy, conviviality, free & open, maps, traceability
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paper windows
This is an old idea, but it remains relevant because of its elegance in treating the windows desktop as a physical space with paper windows: you can fold back the corners of any sheet to move items between various layers. It is a navigation technique called ‘Fold ‘n’ Drop;’ I saw Pierre Dragicevic present it […]
Posted in 2d, 3d, animation, interaction, visualization
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