Useless Networks
Instructor: Philip Van Allen
Design implications of pervasive networks, embedded and embodied technologies, and a world where every object and space has a life of its own... The New Ecology of Things
How can we create heterogeneous and embodied relationships with digitally enhanced things and activities; considering the entire context of use - object form and function, physical environment and layout, affordance, interface, gesture, system behavior, haptics...
Useless Networks // a collaboration with Julia Tsao Spring 2009, lots of program help from friend Bayo
The Right Information at the Wrong Time / The Wrong Information at the Right Time
Everyday we find ourselves at constant bombardments of information, useful or not - who makes the decision. What about if this information would have been useful to you 2 days ago but now it is just meaningless.
Playing with this idea we decided to create the most useless and yet so obvious scenario... at the entrance to Art Center College of Design from the student parking lot. We placed a sign on each sides of the entrance / exit door.
The entrance sign facing everyone coming from the parking lot, walking into the college stating how many empty parking spots there are currently available.
The exit sign will be seen by all the people leaving the school and walking to their cars stating who many people are waiting in line in the cafeteria.
There are two infrared sensors. One is counting the cars arriving in the parking lot and the other one the once leaving. So there is a continuous adding and dropping of numbers according to the traffic.?Then there are two more sensors counting the people waking into the cafeteria and leaving it. And all of them are communicating with computers and LED screens for the signs sensors /effectors via the wireless school network.
How useful is it for you to gain the number of available parking spots as soon as you parked your, probably not so much. If this information would have come 10 minutes ago when you drove around like crazy looking for a spot...
"There are currently ___ empty spots in the parking lot."
The same thing when you leave the college. You no longer need to know the line of people, you are leaving the school certainly don't care about the cafeteria. But how useful would this information has been when you arrived at school, maybe just in the mood for a quick bite to eat before class starts. If you only would know how long the line is and if you would be able to make it in time...
"There are currently ___ people in line at the cafeteria."
Allthough we had a few sensor glitches (there are currently 74 people in line at the cafeteria) the project was quite convincing, or confusing!
It was also a very sweet approach trying to create someting useless...