Since this is a student pitched project, we drew from a number of sources for inspiration during our pitch process.
Leah Buechley, of the MIT Media Lab, came to give a talk about her work and in many ways that led us toward the seed that started this project. We were particularly interested in her approach of “high-low tech,” or embedding physical computing into existing materials such as textiles or wood. Her experimentation has discovered some very interesting, tactile elements that brings technology into a ‘low-tech’ sphere of interactivity. Here is a list of her projects.
We were also interested in how people move around a space, and how the technology interfaces with the architecture. These sources also made us think about the tactile elements of technology, and spurred us to think outside virtual and into physical.
- Snibbe Boundary Functions – The space around each person becomes salient, and they play with eachother to explore what personal space means
- CROMA & Squama – Adaptive and interactive window panels that can change its visibility
- LightBridge – A bridge with an LED array that responded to pedestrians on the bridge
- Concentricity – This light sculpture challenged us to think about the responsiveness of light when someone interacts with it
Materials are also important to us because we want to explore how the fabrication process can change the way something is done or the way in which someone interacts with the installation. We’ve been taking time throughout the semester to discover of innovative materials we can use in our projects to change the way these interactions work, from e-textiles to different forms of light dispersion. Examples of the types of materials we are looking at are below:
Lastly, we’re always looking for new ways to inspire ourselves, so we’ve been taking trips to local attractions and exhibitions to see what the rest of the community is up to. We had a great trip to the Mattress Factory, and we’re planning to check out some of the digital and technological exhibitions throughout the semester. If there are any we should check out, send them our way!