Soft Mechanics

SOFT MECHANICS (2007 - ongoing) by Marcelo Coehlo.

HINT: Soft machines.

"Soft Mechanics focus on the development of taxonomy of kinetic elements to guide the design of wearable machines. It is primarly focused on aesthetics as well as the shapes and movements of the body. While traditional mechanics are predicated of the physics of hard materials, Soft Mechanics draws its inspiration from the soft surfaces, rich textures ans traditional techniques of textiles."*

*from the book Fashionable Technology by Sabine Seymour.

Pulp-Based Computing

PULP-BASED COMPUTING (2006 - ongoing) by Marcelo Coehlo.

HINT: Electronic peper!

"Pulp-Based Computing is a series of explorations that combine smart materials, papermaking and printing. By integrating electrically active inks and fibers during the papermaking process, it is possible to create sensors and actuators that behave , look and feel like paper. These composite materials, not only leverage the physical and tactile qualities of the paper, but can also convey digital information."*

*from the book Fashionable Technology by Sabine Seymour.

Sensory Screen

SENSORY SCREEN (2002- 2006) by Zane Berzina.

HINT: Skin as sensor!

"Sensory Skin is a medium that is capable of reflecting our reactions to various psychological or physical stimuli coming from the outer world. Linear patterns occur in places where semi-conductive threads are incorporated when an electric current passes through."*

*from the book Fashionable Technology by Sabine Seymour.

Touch Me Wallpaper

TOUCH ME WALLPAPER (2003 - ongoing) by Zena Berzina.

HINT: Touch sensitive walls!

"Touch Me Wallpaper is an interactive sensory-appeal textile membrane that changes color in response to environmental or human heat. People are invited to interact with the wallpaper by touching it and crating their own bodily heat patterns, which are temporarily recorded on the wall until they fade away completely."*

*from the book Fashionable Technology by Sabine Seymour.

Skin Architecture

SKIN ARCHITECTURE (2004) by Zane Berzina.

HINT: Textile sensory experience.

"Skin Architecture offers a sensory experience that simultaneously involves sight, smell and touch. The magnified skin pieces are visually animated by low electric stimuli passing through conductive threads integrated into the silicone objects. As the resistant heat radiates, the color change patterns increase until the entire piece changes color, while simultaneously releasing relaxing aromas."*

*from the book Fashionable Technology by Sabine Seymour.

System I

SYSTEM I (2006) by Zane Berzina.

HINT: Responsive membrane!

"System I mimics skin properties that are regulated by our nervous system. The operating principle is based on the properties of thermochromic materials which change color when reacting to an increase or decrease in heat initiated by electric stimuli. When the electrical circuit is open the entire textile system undergoes fluctuating color changes."*

*from the book Fashionable Technology by Sabine Seymour.

Jacket Antics

JACKET ANTICS (2007) by Barbara Layne, Studio SubTela.

HINT: Wearable electronics.

"Jacket Antics feature unique texts and designs scrolling through the LED array on the backs of the two garments. When the wearers hold hands, the LED arrays presents a third, synchronous message that scrolls from one to the other, presenting a new pattern of communication. When the wearers release hands the message reverts back to the individual themes."*

*from the book Fashionable Technology by Sabine Seymour.

Spring On

SPRING ON (2007) by Kai Eichen, Marit Mihklepp and Hanna Tiidus.

HINT: Eternal spring.

"The project contains three objects: a carpet, a tablecloth and a pillow. Together they create a relaxing atmosphere of spring, nature, light and warmth. Traditional techniques such as silkscreen printing, embroidering, sewing, felting and weaving were combined with electronics to produce interior design objects. The electronic aspects ate hidden so the piece project a natural and warm feeling while containing a number of surprises."*

*from the book Fashionable Technology by Sabine Seymour.

The Interactive Pillows

THE INTERACTIVE PILLOWS (2001-2002, 2004)

HINT: Dynamic textile patterns.

"The Interactive Pillows are based on the idea that the pillows should be able to interact ragardless of geographical distance. When one of the pillows is hugged or leaned against, the pattern of the other pillow changes its aestheti expression. The first generation of pillows were woven on a handloom and made of wool, electroluminescent wire and effect yarn. The second generation of pillows were made on an industrial weaving machine, using the same materials."*

*from the book Fashionable Technology by Sabine Seymour.

Electronic Tablecloth

ELECTRONIC TABLECLOTH (1999) by Maggie Orth, International Fashion Machines.

HINT: Electronic embroidery.

"The Electronic Tablecloth allows viewers to comunicate and play games by touching a keypad embroidered into the tablecloth. Information (visual output) is displayed on the LED text displays in the centerpiece."*

*from the book Fashionable Technology by Sabine Seymour.

Kukkia and Vilkas

KUKKIA AND VILKAS (2005) by XS Labs.

HINT: Expressive and behavioral sculpture.

"Kukkia is an expressive and behavioral kinetic sculpture that develops a visceral relationship with the wearer. The Kukkia flowers frame the face and slowly open and close over time, like a caress. The felt and silk petals provide relative rigidity and integrate stitched Nitinol (a shape memory alloy) wire, which enables the slow, organic movement."*

*from the book Fashionable Technology by Sabine Seymour.

The Skin Probe Project: Bubelle - Blush Dress.

THE SKIN PROBE PROJECT (2006) by Philips Design.

HINT: Sensitive technology.

"The Skin Probe Project is part of a "far-future" design research initiative to study emerging trends and behavior. The project examines more 'analog' phenomena such as emotional sensing, and explores technologies that are 'sensitive' rather than 'intelligent'.

The Bubelle - Blushing Dress- behaves differently depending on who is wearing it, and therefore exhibits completely nonlinear behavior. A delicate 'bubble' sorrounds it, that responds to skin contact by illuminating various patterns."*

*from the book Fashionable Technology by Sabine Seymour.

Fibre Reactive

FIBRE REACTIVE (2004) by Donna Franklin.

HINT: Living garment.

"Fibre Reactive is a unique living garment that attempts to raise debate on the controversial manipulation of living entities into commodities and the use of microbiology as an artistic tool. The Pycnoporus coccineus fungus is cultivated and produces a living colored surface. It is the intentios of the work to challenge the role of garments in commodity culture and to aslo draw attention to our own morality."*

*from the book Fashionable Technology by Sabine Seymour.

SmartSecondSkin

SMART SECOND SKIN (2004) by Adeline Andre.

HINT: Function to fashion.

"SmartSecondSkin is a scent delivery system that adds function to fashion by mimicking the body's senses, scent glands and circulatory system. Scented chemicals flow freely through the veins of the dress as the fabric selects and emits a scent depending on the wearer's mood. It has its own pseudo nervous system, which allows the garment to control, through olfactory stimulation, the emotional wellbeing of the wearer."*

*from the book Fashionable Technology by Sabine Seymour.

Living Light

LIVING LIGHT by David Benjamin and Soo-in Yang: "The Living".

HINT: Permanent outdoor pavilion.

"is a permanent outdoor pavilion in the heart of Seoul with a dynamic skin that glows and blinks in response to both data about air quality and public interest in the environment. The skin of the pavilion is a giant map of Seoul with the 27 neighborhood (gu) boundaries redrawn based on existing air quality sensors of the Korean Ministry of Environment—each shape in this new map encloses the air closest to one of the sensors. Then the map illuminates to become an interactive, environmental building facade. Citizens can enter the pavilion or view it from nearby streets and buildings, and they can text message the building and it will text them back."*

*from www.livinglightseoul.net

UK Pavilion Shanghai 2010

UK PAVILION SHANGHAI by Thomas Heatherwick.

HINT: Th seed cathedral.

"The centrepiece of the UK pavilion is a six storey high object formed from some 60,000 slender transparent rods, which extend from the structure and quiver in the breeze. During the day, each of the 7.5m long rods act like fibre-optic filaments, drawing on daylight to illuminate the interior, thereby creating a contemplative awe-inspiring space. At night, light sources at the interior end of each rod allow the whole structure to glow. The pavilion sits on a landscape looking like paper that once wrapped the building and that now lies unfolded on the site."*

*from www.ukshanghaiexpo.com

ResoNet

RESONET by Mark Francis Tynan & William Hailiang Chen.

HINT: Cascade of light.

"ResoNet visualises the resonant frequencies inherent in the natural environment, via the interaction of the public and surrounding elements detected by a LED net. By using Low-Fi techniques ResoNet creates a cascade of light triggered by the vibrations detected across the structure. ResoNet’s tensile web structure is stretched across a space, like a spider web. A series of vibration sensors & LED circuit components are fixed at key intersections on the tensile network, to detect minute vibrations as a result of human and natural activity. Be it a brush of a hand, or a passing breeze, the energy is converted into light that resonates across the structure, immersing the public in a cascading visual of flashing LED’s."*

*from www.reso-net.org.

Delight Cloth

DELIGHT CLOTH by Tsuya textile Co. Ltd.

HINT: Light emiting textile!

"Delight Cloth is a light-emitting textile comprised of thousands of fiber optic strands. With a diameter of only 0.25 to 0.5 mm, the optical fibers are woven into a large translucent tapestry that can be hung vertically or horizontally. The material may be used for wall or ceiling treatments, as well as banner signage or clothing. Delight Cloth can be fabricated with imbedded graphics or logos, and may be used to emit a wide variety of colors of light."*

*from www.transmaterial.net

Burble

BURBLE by Open burble team.

HINT: Wall of illuminated ballons.

"The Burble is a massive structure reaching up towards the sky, composed of approximately 1000 extra-large helium balloons each of which contains microcontrollers and LEDs that create spectacular patterns of light across the surface of the structure. The public, both audience and performer, come together to control this immense rippling, glowing, bustling 'Burble' that sways in the evening sky, in response to movements of the long articulated interactive handle bar at the base of the structure. The ephemeral experience exists at such a large scale that it is able to compete visually in an urban context with the buildings that surround it."*

*from www.haque.co.uk

Super Fiber Revolution

SUPER FIBER REVOLUTION by Tokujin Yoshioka.

HINT: Crystallized snowscape!

"Tokujin’s approach towards structures of the future follows the the idea that, to achieve great strength small light fibers should be systematically organized. This approach differs to the common belief that hard materials should be used. the principle is similar to that of the japanese art ‘aikido’, in which strength is generated by diverting force through a circular movement. the rug design is made from weaving various transparent fibers together, the design suggests a crystalized snowscape."*

*from www.designboom.com

Tornado

TORNADO by Tokujin Yoshioka.

HINT: wading through million of straws.

"Tokujin Yoshioka's 'tornado' installation was the main event at design miami 2007. tokujin was named this year's designer of the year following previous winners marc newson and zaha hadid. yoshioka has sent us some images from the installation that consisted of millions of plastic drinking straws piled into maze-like arrangements inside miami's moore building. throughout the mounds of straws were various chair design by yoshioka, including 'honey pop', 'pane' as well as the new 'rainbow chair' and another glass chair made from the same optical glass he used for his waterfall bar."*

*from www.designboom.com

Weave mirror

WEAVE MIRROR by Daniel Rozin.

HINT: Nice effect!

"Beautifully done- the work had a really organic feeling to it despite the somewhat complex network of electronics carefully integrated into the back."*

*from www.smoothware.com/danny/

Aegis Hyposurface

AEGIS HYPOSURFACE by Mark Goulthorpe of dECOi Architects.

HINT: Interactive walls!

"interactive mechanical surface that deforms in real-time based on various environmental stimuli, including the sounds and movements of people, weather, and electronic information.

The Hyposurface is comprised by a matrix of actuators, which are given positional information via a highly efficient bus system as well as an array of electronic sensors used to trigger a variety of mathematical deployment programs."*

*from www.transmaterial.net

Fabcell

FABECELL by Dr. Akira Wakita’s Information Design Laboratory at Keio University in Japan.

HINT: Chameleonlike fabric.

"Fabcell is a flexible, nonemissive fabric made of fibers dyed with liquid-crystal ink and conductive yarns. These materials are connected to electronic components and woven into a square textile. When a low voltage is applied, the temperature of the fabric increases, changing the color of the fabric. When arranged in matrices, Fabcells can display subtle images within the curvature of flexible textiles. Clothing can also be enhanced with temporary self expression."*

*from www.transmaterial.net

Colour Lights

COLOUR LIGHTS by Maarten de Ceulaer.

HINT: Simple and unique lights!

"Series of lights containing water tinted with food colouring in Milan later this month. Called Colour Lights, the range consists of glass vessels filled with water containing non-toxic colourants. The concept is simple but unique; by adding a few drops of edible food colourants to the water inside the bottle, you can change the colour of the lamp, and the atmosphere of the space."*

*from www.dezeen.com

Reflexive Architecture machine

REFLEXIVE ARCHITECTURE MACHINE by University of Buffalo and AA London .

HINT: Arch. that transform itself in responses to changes in its environment.

"It re-imagines how we shape and assemble conventional materials, like rubber, plastic, and wood through a combination of material and computational processes to develop more complex relations between parts and wholes. This fundamentally challenges the static nature of conventional building materials and sensitizes them to the ephemeral and dynamic qualities of environmental conditions like heat, moisture, air chemistry and gravity."*

*from the the Center for Architecture and Situated Technologies at the School of Architecture and Urban Planning.