| 3.8 Technology
There is an implicit perception that technology, or the commercial expression
of technology, especially electronic technology, is speeding up the pace of life. Yet
interesting applications of technology are emerging that are designed to slow
human activities and create new experiences. These applications are focusing
on the interactive nature of technology and asking how this can deliver moments
of reflection and rest.
Process |
Information
technology is harnessed to record, store, manipulate and
display data or use the data to create a physical manifestation
of the data. |
Outcomes |
Technology
is harnessed to reveal new ways of organising data and hence
experiences. |
Individual human well-being |
The technology
encourages reflective moments and mental rest by experimenting
with the writing and reading of data |
Socio-cultural well-being |
Individual
or collective participation enables social interaction and
common creativity |
Environmental well-being |
|
Focuses the audience on the real and virtual environments;
potential for zero energy interactive technologies |
Slow Technology, Sweden by PLAY, Interactive
Institute – Everyday computer use focuses on how the technology
increases the speed, efficiency and amount of information handled. A
group of researchers at PLAY Interactive Institute are examining
other aspects and perspectives of information technology which
they call Slow Technology, that is technology aimed at promoting
moments of reflection and mental rest. New experiences are
generated by creating new acts of reading and writing using information
technology. This design space manifests itself in displays
and devices in which are embedded two levels of slowness. The
first is the slow response of the display output and the second
is the time required by the viewer to use, understand and reflect
upon the environment of this design space. One such manifestation
is Lamp Foot, a lampshade suspended just above the floor over a
circle of dry autumn leaves. Four small fans are fitted inside
the shade, each projecting downwards at different angles. The
speed and direction of each fan can be set via a microcontroller
linked to a PC. Switching on the fans moves the leaves into
a one-off pattern. The ‘reading’ is seen as patterns
of leaves on the floor while the ‘writing exists as patterns
of information controlling the fans.
©2004, 2005 Alastair Fuad-Luke. All rights reserved.
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