Product, service, design concept using place, location and ubiquitous technology

  1. Laser tag game Father.io : the world’s first real-life, massive multiplayer, first person shooter.

shooting

source: www.father.io

This product is very similar to the experimental running game that was discussed in class. Using augmented reality and location-based technologies, Father.io turns your surrounding into battlefields and your phone into first-person shooter interface through which you can fire and shoot other player. Gamers can also record and share their real time games on social media.This game is well developed even in the crowdfunding phase and is already well supported by gamers. “More than 55,000 gamers from across the world have already signed up on the wait list to play Father.IO” says Francesco Ferrazzino, CEO of Proxy42 and lead developer on Father.IO.

Personal thought: while I’m not a gamer myself, I am eager to see if this concept and technology can be applied in other fields. It is interesting to see that this technology allow participation of many people and it requires little to be part of the game. In a way, it sort of lowering social barriers as gamers can join and play in real life with anyone. It would be cool to see some of this being applied in fields like rescue or humanitarian work.

2. Pixel Track 

download

Pixel Track from Berg on Vimeo.

A concept that is highly relevant to Signage – a topic that our class has been discussing for a few weeks.

Pixel Track is a concept to provide a solution to 2 critical issues in signages: changeability requirement and energy consumption of LED display. Studio Berg’s concept combines internet-connected smarts with a display made up of mechanical pixels, each with two sides. When a new message is sent to the display, a computerized track sweeps along the backside and flips the pixels into the proper configuration.The advantage to the design is that once the pixels are flipped, the sign doesn’t require any power to display its message.

Personal thought: what interesting about this concept is that it seems to go in the opposite direction with many connected product concepts these days. Instead of going digital and requires energy to operate (smart watch,smart lock…etc) , it actually stripping off energy consumption and go back to mechanical approach.  I personally feel that this solution is simple, elegant and highly convincing in achieving both changeability and energy efficiency for signages.

 

Author: Ava P.

learner and a meaning seeker in all things

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