Interventionist Healer: This object serves the family who views their genetic mutation within a fatalistic, predetermined narrative: They accept the experience of carrying the mutation as part of the family identity, but choose to be active.
This object is given as heirloom to the child who did not inherit the genetic mutation. While physically fortunate in avoiding the illness, in effect they are also excluded from a substantial part of the familyʼs narrative.
With the increased availability of genetic information, the view of our body and identity as a sequence of genes is becoming prevalent. This perception of ourselves has the power to reconstruct our familial relationships and challenge our conception of responsibility, risk and autonomy. Gold and silver, much like a number of genetic cancers, are traditionally passed down the generations as inheritance. The emerging use of precious metals in medicine and especially in cancer treatment draws parallels between material heirloom and genetic ancestry. This series of speculative heirloom objects is based on the medical applications of nanogold particles and responds to the new moral codes of genetic responsibility. Each object address a certain issue within this context; focusing on the emotional and psychological implications of genetic knowledge.How does the comprehension of genetic vulnerability change our behaviour? Can new materials have an effect on our morals and social structures?
Genetic Heirloom by designer Revital Cohen with Partner — The Wellcome Trust. Collaborators: Professor Richard Ashcroft, Professor of Bioethics, School of Law, Queen Mary University,London. Dr Ainsley Newson, The Centre for Ethics in Medicine, University of Bristol. Professor Andy Miah, Professor in Ethics & Emerging Technologies at the University of West of Scotland.Photography by Gary Hamill.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Prenatal genetic testing: a critical design discussion
Hypnotic Audiovisual installation
Very compelling visual and sound work by Ryoichi Kurokawa, rheo: 5 horizons, 2010. Discovered on We Make Money Not Art.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Open source electronic modules that snap!
Little Bits
One of my favorite electronic kit of all time is the one I had found in a yard sale, the Lectron, magnetic electronic blocks to discover the magic of electronics in a minute! This was very cool to find at a yard sale, but I was always wandering why such kits did not exist today. Well... a friend of mine from the MIT Media Lab, Ayah Bdeir, did it beautifully with LittleBits: the magnetic blocks hands-on remain, there is less an "electronic understanding" per se and more of an an "experiment me first" attitude. The design is very well thought out too with the color coded modules and the easy snap-on pieces.Electronic components are classified: input, output, power and wire, are color coded (sooo cute) and easily snap-able. With 50 modules in hands, everything can happen! I can't wait to put my hand on the started kit and see how my little one (just turned 2!) will adjust to this new creative medium!
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Our See-Through 3D desktop finally public!
My intern Jinha Lee and I crunched some fun ideas during his research internship at Microsoft!
See-Through 3D desktop done by Jinha Lee and Cati Boulanger in the Applied Sciences Group
I thought it deserved a spot on my blog too! So our See-Through 3D Desktop offers a behind-the-screen interaction with a transparent OLED with view-dependent, depth-corrected gaze.
Despite advances in 3D sensing and display technologies, our interactions with computer desktops have remained stagnant from the form that evolved under 2D I/O modalities. Our See Through 3D desktop is a 3D spatial operating environment that allows the user to directly interact with her virtual desktop. The user can reach into the projected 3D output space with his/her hands to directly manipulate the windows.
Users can casually open up the See-Through 3D Desktop and Type on the keyboard or use a trackpad as in traditional 2D operating environment. Windows or files are perceived to be placed in a 3D space between a screen and the input plane.
The user can lift up her hands to reach the displayed windows and arrange them in this 3D space.A unique combination of a transparent display and 3D gesture detection algorithm collocates input space and 3D rendering without tethering or encumbering users with wearable devices. See-through 3D desktop is a term for the entire ensemble of necessary software hardware and design technological components for realizing this volumetric operating environment.
Voilà!
Saturday, November 19, 2011
iWood laptop
Giving a whole new meaning to screen time! Perfect for all the toddlers I can think of around... via ReCraft
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Monday, October 17, 2011
At UIST this Monday: Scopemate, a robotic microscope!
I am at UIST this Monday to present one of my project along with my mentor Paul Dietz since I joined Microsoft Applied Sciences Group. It is a very quick but efficient solution for the ones who like to solder small components!
Summary
Scopemate is a robotic microscope that tracks the user for inspection microscopy. In this video, we propose a new interaction mechanism for inspection microscopy. The novel input device combines an optically augmented web-cam with a head tracker. A head tracker controls the inspection angle of a webcam fitted with ap-propriate microscope optics. This allows an operator the full use of their hands while intuitively looking at the work area from different perspectives. This work was done by researchers Cati Boulanger and Paul Dietz in the Applied Sciences Group at Microsoft and will be presented at UIST 2011 this Monday as both a demo and a poster!
Video
Friday, August 12, 2011
The evolution of the architectural medium in engaging digital 3D
A pretty neat thesis from the Graduate School of Design at Harvard, Greg Tran explains that the traditional mode of material production moves forward, but three new forms of design emerge. Digital 3d immersion is the first and is most similar to virtual reality (but has little to nothing to do with architecture.) It is a simulated environment which is entirely digital and relies on material/site specificity as little as possible. Digital 3d renovation is where existing facilities are retrofit with site specific D3d software and environment recognition, but the final condition is Digital 3d architecture. This bridges the design gap between the digital and the material.
The purpose of his thesis is not to design an architecture that works perfectly within this new medium, but rather to highlight the medium itself, research potentials, create kernel ideas and discover the implications that this type of reality would hold.
Video
More versions:
Final segment here (2.5 minutes) Mediating Mediums - The Digital 3d (Part 3)
Short version here (5.5 minutes) Mediating Mediums - The Digital 3d (Short Version)
Long version here (19minute version) - Mediating Mediums: The Digital 3d
