Embedded Interaction Workshop
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University School of Design
Overview
The aim of the course is to develop the skills necessary to explore, think about, and design intelligently responsive kinetic objects and systems and spaces. The primary goal of the course is to expose students to innovative way of thinking about design in terms of adaptability with respect to both contextual systems and building programming. The idea is to create spaces and objects that can physically re-configure themselves to meet changing needs. Students will focus on biomimetics for design inspiration. The central issues explored are human and environmental interaction, embedded computational infrastructures, physical control mechanisms and the processes that architects and designers can use in creating and demonstrating of such systems. Within the framework of this course, design processes and methodologies will be developed so that students will have the practical confidence to explore such systems in future design explorations.
Theme: An interactive Environment for Relaxation
We wake up in the morning to an alarm and rush to where we need to be. We deal with errands on the way while drinking coffee and talking on the phone as we navigate traffic on the freeway. We turn left or right according to the vocal instruction of our GPS navigation unaware of the direction in which we are headed, the sun, the mountains or the ocean. We rush from one task to another, timed by reminders that pop up on our phones until the workday is finished and we go home to sit in front of the computer with the television playing in the background.
All of these increased hours utilizing communications and entertainment technologies are related to living trends that dramatically impact our ability to manage our mental space and relax. We are saturated with technological devices convinced that they increase our efficiency and abilities to get more done; to have more time.
As technology unfolds, will our architecture also be so inextricably tied to such living trends that both will ultimately and simultaneously respond to, and define each other in a corresponding manner?
Can we live in a world with all of the inherent benefits and pleasures and still have peace of mind, calmness and a connection to the natural rhythms and sensations of the planet?
In this workshop we will explore how to mediate the contemporary world described above through an interactive environment which can foster and nurture a connection to nature, self introspection and genuine fortuitous social interactions. Students will explore the design of a relaxation environment as a means to develop our understanding of architectural strategies for managing mental space.
- Introduction to Interactive Architecture
- Contextual situations for the application of Intelligent Kinetic Systems
- Basic mechanical and technological principles of kinetic design.
- Introduction to basic behavioural patterns based on environment adaptation.
- Hands-on introductory robotics for connecting sensors and motors to kinetic structures to prototype behaviour
Workshop - Conceptual designing
- Hands-on physical model fabrication.
- Mechanical Designing
- Introduction to Robotics+Audrino: hands-on electronics - connecting sensors and motors to kinetic structures
- Introduction to Robotics+Audrino: using simple programming commands to control behaviours of mechanical structures
- Prototyping