Electronic Countermeasures

Text by Superflux:

Today we are much closer to our virtual community than we are to our real neighbours. This death of distance has created new forms of city based around ephemeral digital connections rather than physical geography. In this context the Electronic Countermeasures explores the design and manufacture of a flock of interactive autonomous drones that form their own place specific, local, wfi community and pirate file sharing network. Drifting slowly above the water of Eindhoven’s parks the fleet of modified quadrocopters perform a balletic aerial choreography as their soft glow reflects in the canal below.

The drones continue their luminous dance and dynamic glowing formations as they wait for a passer-by to interact with them. When on location,  a visitor can log onto the project website with their phones. As we signal the drones they break formation and are called over. As the drift up close to the visitor the robots offers up a file to exchange. The swarm becomes a pirate broadcast network, a mobile infrastructure that passers-by can interact with. It is a site specific file sharing hub, where content and information is exchanged across the drone network. Impromptu augmented communities form around the glowing flock. As more people interact with the drones the more excited the flock becomes. They swoop dramatically across the surface of the water and they hover above the heads of all those with their mobile screens still activated. Once the drone has shared its files it loses interest it drifts back to the flock to continue its floating choreography. It is almost as if these glowing blimps are alive as they become mobile infrastructures with endearing behaviours. They are part city infrastructure and part technological creatures living amongst the trees.

About Superflux

Superflux is a multidisciplinary design studio founded by Anab Jain and Jon Ardern with a team of collaborators in UK and India. They collaborate with clients to explore bold ideas, tell compelling stories and deliver meaningful design at the intersection of people and technology. Superflux work at the cusp of interaction, product, experience and service design.  The Flux Lab explores the remarkable possibilities as well as the implications of technological change on people, society and the environment. It is an interdisciplinary platform with the central ambition to create positive social, economic and cultural impact. In the past Superflux have worked with the organisations such as EPSRC, Microsoft Research, C-Lab, Royal College of Art, and Griezdale Arts. Their expertise in digital and emerging technologies has lead them to develop such projects as smart toys, gestural interactions, urban mappings, iPhone apps, web portals, mobile services and bespoke RFID jewellery.

Anab Jain is the Founder of Superflux. Born and educated in India (NID), with an MA in Interaction Design from the Royal College of Art, London, She has a proven track record and experience in design, strategy and foresight for businesses, think-tanks and research organisations. Honoured as a TED Fellow, she is the receipient of several awards including the Award of Excellence ICSID and UNESCO Digital Arts Award. She often speaks on design futures, critical design, urbanism and emerging economies at conferences such as PICNIC, WCIT2010, LIFT, SIGGRAPH, EPIC, Design Engaged and FuturEverything. Her work has exhibited at MoMA New York, Apple Computers Inc, Mattel Toys, London Design Festival and Tate Modern. She lectures at the Royal College of Art, VCUQatar, AA, Goldsmiths, Dundee Innovative Product Design and CIID. 

Jon Ardern is an interaction and user experience designer, and Co-Director at Superflux. Along with his design experience, Jon brings his expertise in technology, hardware and software prototyping, web development and Drupal open source content management system to the studio. With an MA in Interaction Design from the Royal College of Art, Jon has worked for a wide range of open source projects and startups including the now-famous citizen journalism site Demotix. To date his work has been shown at the MoMA New York, V&A London, and won prizes from UNESCO and Social Design Network, New York. His other area of interest and expertise revolves around sustainability, a subject he has explored extensively though his work.

Credits

Electronic Countermeasures is a project by London based Tomorrows Thoughts Today in consultation with Superflux in India.

Via: gloweindhoven.nl