Body-Technology Interfaces
Laptop Compubody Sock for privacy, warmth, and concentration in public spaces
Participatory Design Conference 2008 (download PDF below), and ongoing.
Our interactions with personal electronic devices provoke a broad range of emotions from frustration to confusion to feverish obsession. Increasingly, these devices dominate our everyday work activities, our behavior in public space, and our personal communications. Becky will conduct interviews to help create custom-knitted coverings for participants’ personal electronic devices. The installation aims to bring critical awareness and consideration to the complex relationship between people and technological artifacts. Each BTI will reflect salient interaction behaviors between the participant and their chosen device, as well as provoke thought in observers.
You’re invited to participate in creating your own Body Technology Interface using the knitted components provided in the installation. After working with Becky on a design and sketch, a kit of parts will be assembled for the execution of your design. You may choose to sit and work on your creation at the table workspace, take your kit with you to assemble during other sessions, or leave it with Becky to assemble and pick it up later. Photos and thoughts will be documented on the project website, so please share your thoughts and experiences with Becky via email (Becky AT Sternlab DOT org).
Cell Phone Ski Mask
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Ski Mask for Eating a Sandwich
Keyboard Interface for Computer Programming
Devices constructed during the 2008 Participatory Design Conference:
I Am Talking on the Phone by Yvonne Dittrich
Drooling Buddy for Air Travel by Qiawen Wu
TalkMan for Listening to Yourself Talk by Hugh Musick
Keyboard Kozy by Janet Davis
Plug-in Bandana by Petra Ahde
Cameraglove by Anne Louise Bang
Hand-Shaking Glove by Becky Stern
Weaver Beaver Buster for Letting Go of Stress by Lois Weaver
More photos are available on Flickr.
A loose outline of a pattern for these devices can be found on Instructables.
Special thankd to Terri McCook of the Fiber Factory in Mesa, AZ for the gracious loan of her knitting machine.
Press: Featured on Engadget and Gizmodo.
Files:
BTI_info.pdf
2 comments en “Body-Technology Interfaces”
November 14th, 2008 at 4:23 am
Wow! It caused me some time to finally track down here
Nice Knitting!
I’m in China and your works photos have been circulating thru friend’s emails to me. I’m interested but the mails come with no credit so I’ve had to do some effort on Google.
First I spotted the original mail was derived from a post on Chinese BBS here: http://club.yule.sohu.com/yulemain.php?c=24&b=fun_pics&a=5442722. Unfortunately no creator’s name mentioned.
Thanks to Lisa’s name, obscure but visible in the photo, which leads me to http://www.flickr.com/photos/alterscape/ and then I hopped to your flickr page. Finally, here.
I must say your works are mind blowing to me and really worthy to be distributed. But I felt sorry for those who failed to specify you the author’s name, at least they killed my time
Your guys awesome. Hope to see more.
^_^
November 21st, 2008 at 11:49 am
I love the work. It’s so fun and thought provoking. I especially like the Laptop Compubody Sock, Keyboard Cozy and the Ski Mask for Eating a Sandwich. I also love the Captcha paintings and Needlework URLs. Very cool stuff.
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