jennifer dunnam - research 02

8/8/2019 Jennifer Dunnam - Research 02

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Ambient Systems

Sentient Architectures: at Home

Rodolphe el-Khoury with Nashid Nabian

Research II

ambient |ambnt|

adjective [ attrib. ]

of or relating to the immediate surroundings of something

system |sistm|

noun

1 a set of connected things or parts forming a complex whole


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The Ambient Umbrella lets you know when rain or

snow is in the forecast by illuminating its handle.

Light patterns intuitively indicate rain, drizzle, snow,

or thunderstorms. Automatically receives local

weather data from AccuWeather.com no setup,

no sensors, no wet commute. This intelligent um-

brella has you covered.

Ambient Systems

http://www.ambientdevices.com/pro

ducts/umbrella.html\

http://www.ambientdevices.com/products/umbrella.html\

Ambient Umbrella

Ambient Umbrella

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The Beacon is a frosted-glass cube that glows

different colors to display real time stock market

trends, trafc congestion, pollen forecasts, or any

other Ambient information channel: weather, wind-

speed, pollen, trafc congestion, and more.

Ambient Systems

http://www.ambientdevices.com/cat/products.html

http://www.ambientdevices.com/cat/products.h

tml

Ambient Weather Beacon

Ambient Weather Beacon

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The Braille Interpreter is a single-nger glove that

features a tactile sensor, a Bluetooth headphone

and interpreting software. The glove has a tactile

sense at the index nger. The heart of the device

sits at the back of the hand which is also respon-

sible for converting data from the sensor into voice.

In order the blind person hear these auditory sig-

nals a earpiece is attached which connects to the

main device via bluetooth technology.

We present the design of a cost-effective wearable

sensor to detect and indicate the strength and other

characteristics of the electric eld emanating from

a laptop display. Our bracelet can provide an im-

mediate awareness of electric elds radiated from

an object used frequently. Our technology thus sup-ports awareness of ambient background emanation

beyond human perception. We discuss how detec-

tion of such radiation might help to ngerprint de-

vices and aid in applications that require determina-

tion of indoor location.

Ambient Systems

http://tangible.media.mit.edu/projec

t.php?recid=110

http://wiredcubes.com

/braille-interpreter/

EMF Bracelet

Braille Interpreter

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The system measures slight variations in bright-

ness produced by the ow of blood through blood

vessels in the face. Public-domain software is used

to identify the position of the face in the image, and

then the digital information from this area is broken

down into the separate red, green and blue portions

of the video image. In tests, the pulse data derived

from this setup were compared with the pulse deter-

mined by a commercially available FDA-approved

blood-volume pulse sensor.

4D-Pixel is a smart surface which physically reacts

to your voice and music. This interactive sculpture

is a merging of electromagnetics, software and

electronics. The dynamic of the wall is made of

hundreds of pixels which react on the dynamic in

sound frequencies.

Ambient Systems

http://www

.studioroosegaarde.net/work_html.php?id=1

http://web.mit.edu/new

sofce/2010/pulse-camera-1004.

html

4D Pixel

Health Mirror

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Shade Pixel is an interactive display that uses ex-

ible Spandex to represent information. It can be

used as an ambient display for its peripherality;

non-luminescent nature and simple appearance.

The prototype is built as a grid surface with spandex

stretched across the frame. Small magnets at the

surface are attracted to metal pillars which move

up and down to create indentations is the surface.

Dynamic Terrain is an interactive surface that can

be controlled by its users via a software interface.

It functions as a modular interior landscape that

can be adjusted to t spatial or physical require-

ments in real time. Dynamic Terrain is represent-

ing a exible morphing space (liquid polyurethane)

that you can program and play with like you can

with a creature. It is a body of data responding to

your actions. Dynamic Terrain is controlled using

shockwave software to manipulated a reinforced

polyurethane skin.

Ambient Systems

http://www

.interactivearchitecture.o

rg/dynamic-terrain-

janis-ponis

ch.html

http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/16/vie

w/8552/

shade-pixel.html

Shade pixel

Dynamic Terrain


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Project Epoc is designed to take video games to

the next level by exploding your input possibilities

and removing even the minimal amount of calories

burned through furiously smashing controller but-

tons.

Touch Me consists of a exible vibrotactile motor

array in a soft enclosure that can be applied to

large areas of the body and remotely actuated by

a care-giver through a remote switch array. The

long, narrow geometry of the vibrotactile array is

designed to provide soothing touch simulation over

an entire part of the body: an arm, a leg, the back

or the chest. A remote controller allows mapping of

the location and intensity of vibrotactile actuation by

a caregiver.

Ambient Systems

http://tangible.media.mit.edu/project.php?recid=90

http://www.engadget.com/2007/03/02/project-epoc-

thought-powered-controller-could-gaming-get-any-la/

Epoch Controller

Touch Me



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Squeeze Me is a vest that simulates therapeutic

holding. Pneumatic chambers around the shoul-

ders, chest and back are inated by a portable

air compressor to momentarily provide distributed

pressure in ways that have been shown to lessen

panic attacks in autistic children and to help man-

age aggressive children. A digital control system

administers the hug by direct control on behalf of

the wearer.

Cool Me Down is a exible electronic cold wrap

containing electronic heat pumps. A neoprene sub-

strate insulates the hot and cold sides of the heat

pumps and maintains the structure of the device,

which resembles a small bandage. Peltier Junc-

tions glued to aluminum plaques generate a sub-

stantial temperature difference from one side to the

other (~15C). The plaques act as heat sinks, and

are hinged together by the neoprene insulator so

that the entire object can be wrapped around differ-

ent parts of the body.

Ambient Systems

Squeeze Me

Cool Me Down

http://tangible.media.mit.edu/project.php?recid=90

http://tangible.media.mit.edu/project.php?recid

=90



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The eCloud is a dynamic sculpture inspired by the

volume and behavior of an idealized cloud. Made

from unique polycarbonate tiles that can fade be-

tween transparent and opaque states, its patterns

are transformed periodically by real time weather

from around the world.

Responsive cubes that recognize motion above

and rise and lower accordingly.

Ambient Systems

http://hom

epage.mac.com/ysanto/projects/co-ex_cubes/

http://www.ecloudproject.com/index.html

eCloud

CoEx Cubes



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FLARE is a modular system to create a dynamic

hull for facades or any building or wall surface. Act-

ing like a living skin, it allows a building to express,

communicate and interact with its environment.

The new smart material is a thin, transparent, non-

mechanical surface which automatically opens

and closes gills in response to human presence

to control the air quality in the room. The silicone

surface embedded with Dynalloy Flexinol wires

contracts due to the electrical stimulus, allowing the

gills to breathe and regulate air quality when car-

bon dioxide levels are high. You can watch Living

Glass breathe here or check out the Architectural

Leagues video interview with the two architects be-

low.

Ambient Systems

Flare

Living Glass

http://www

.inhabitat.com/2007/06/21/carbon-dioxide-

sensing-living-glass/

http://www.are-facad

e.com/



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Electroland set a riser system into the surrounding

concrete, then placed a grid of 176 16-inch-square

tiles within it. Each tile is a sandwich of fritted glass

and plastic that holds 96 red LEDs and has four

compression sensors and a microcomputer on

its underside. When someone steps on a tile, the

sensors and microcomputer send data to a mas-

ter computer located in the lobby. That computer in

turn signals the tile to illuminate.

The Podium Light Wall is located on the South and

North facades of 7 World Trade Center. As people

wander on the pavement below a strip of blue light

gracefully follows them. This strip of blue light is 7

oors tall and is visible from Freedom Park. The Po-

dium Wall accentuates the individual, and the pat-

terns that are created as many pass by together.

Kinecity designed the interactive element of the de-

sign for James Carpenter Design Assoc. who were

the responsible for the wall as an art piece.

Ambient Systems

http://kinecity.com/podium-wall-7-w

orld-trade-center/

http://archrecord.construction.com/projects/lig

hting/

archives/0708enterac

tive.asp

Electroland

Podium Wall



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Dune is an interactive landscape which reacts on

the behavior of people. This hybrid of nature and

technology exists out of large amounts of bers

which are brightened according to the sounds and

motion of passing visitors. Our most recent version

is lled with interactive lights and sounds. Dune in-

vestigates nature in a futuristic relation with urban

space by means of looking, walking and interacting.

The Orb arrives preset to track the Dow Jones In-

dustrial Average, glowing more green or red to indi-

cate market movement up or down, or yellow when

the market is calm. It can be customized to a set of

free channels, such as market indices or weather in

major cities.

Ambient Systems

Dund 4.0

Orb

http://www

.ambientdevices.com/ca

t/orb/orborder.html

http://www.studioroos

egaarde.net/work_html.php?id=3

jennifer dunnam - research 02

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