Internet of Things

As previously mentioned in this blog, I visit trade shows when I can. Technical, broadcast and video-type shows are a great source of trends in equipment, and I am always getting applicable ideas for work and installations. Whether or not I have the resources to follow through, it's an essential aspect of feeding creativity to imagine different uses and applications for equipment. They increasingly incorporate art, architecture and student projects.

I went to a new show for me, Internet World at Earls Court:
http://www.internetworld.co.uk

I wouldn't have gone to this, except I was intrigued by what they called The Internet of Things.
I'm very glad to have come across this one stand with small-scale, largely  hand-made items which are in some way interactive and activated by the internet. These inventions are powered by small electronics, and are more or less apps in solid form.

This particular lot are from a start-up hub in Liverpool, where individuals have access to resources and development. I talked to the maker of WhereDial, who showed me some of the mechanism which is rather user-friendly for makers.

The components are programmable in a usable way. You don't have to be a great expert in electronics or computing in order to employ this technology.

http://blog.mapme.at/wheredial/

WhereDial by John McKerrell

Inspired by the clock owned by the Weasley family in the Harry Potter books, the WhereDial provides a delightful way to make a personal connection with a family member or friend. The WhereDial is made from laser cut plywood or colourful plastic and features a list of location categories around the dial. Through the cloud based location aggregator - MapMe.At http://mapme.at/ - the WhereDial can retrieve a person's location from FourSquare, Google Latitude and a variety of other services. It then rotates the dial to show where the person is. It's a great device for people who are less comfortable using mobile phones and computers but is also a really handy glanceable object that fits nicely on the desk of a technophile too.

I particularly love the intersection of handmade, digital and internet technologies. I feel I could employ some of these ideas myself in devices, inventions and contraptions. I particularly think there may be a solution for me here in the mechanism I will have to devise for the 24 Hour Sibelius project, in how the whole piece coordinates and moves.

26th April 2013