Looking Outwards – Physical Computing

SOMETHING THAT INSPIRED ME
Auto Auction by Chris Eckert

Auto Auction is the realization of what has long been a pipe dream of the marketing world: a product that sells itself. When turned on, the Auto Auction will automatically open an online auction for itself. For every new bid that is placed, a disembodied hand will sound a bell, and the current bid price is displayed by tumblers on the front of the object. I find this piece profoundly inspiring on multiple fronts. One, the craftsmanship is impeccable. The representation of the online auction house with obsolete symbols such as the auction bell and number tumblers triggers nostalgia within me for a time which was far before my birth. But the aesthetics exist with a separate purpose in mind: increasing the objects value in the online market.
Realize that the very act of turning on this work of art results in its sale to another individual. Without some shifty bidding wars with yourself, the Auto Auction can only be used once per owner, during which time both the value of the object and the next owner are constantly in flux. Chris Eckert’s use of the Arduino to create such a conceptually strong work of art inspires me to look beyond simply creating something that is “beautiful”, “functional” and/or “interesting”.

SOMETHING THAT DISAPPOINTED ME
Daily Stack by Anders Hojmose

Daily Stack takes a stab at physically representing your workflow through stacking color coded blocks. The base of the stack hooks up to a computer, which displays a timer. For each block placed on the base, the computer program runs a timer, during which the user is doing the activity associated with the color of the current block (blue = work, orange = procrastination, etc.). While stacking modular forms in different orders to create a variation of a digital program is a promising idea, the simplicity of the variation and the inherent flaws in the core concept of Daily Stack ruins it. Firstly, the only difference between a “work” timer and a “procrastinate” timer is the color, which takes no advantage of the interactivity being provided with this stack of blocks. Secondly, one rarely ever sets a block of time aside for procrastination, nor is a procrastinator likely to work all the way through a predefined span of work time. Representing workflow with a stack of color coded blocks is far too rigid to be accurate.

SOMETHING THAT SURPRISED ME
Thesis_Light_3 by Hyeonmin Jun

When I clicked this video, I was expecting a two dimensional piece, based on the thumbnail image. Instead, I was thrust into Hyeonmin Jun’s Digital Media Design thesis, Computational Distortion Environment with Shape-shifting Methodology. In this particular facet of the project, Jun experiments with attempting to create breathing sculptures. The leaf-like topographic object will slowly rise and fall, giving the illusion of breath. When Jun approaches the leaf, it quickly exhales and closes up. The effects of this interactivity are more significantly conveyed when the lights are turned off, and the sole light source comes from within the leaf. When the leaf breaths in, the gaps between its layers reveal light, and when it breaths out, the light disappears. A room full of these would be wonderful. Only the area near the viewer would be dark, while the rest of the room would undulate with breathing light fixtures.