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Shape-Shifting Navigation Device Points You In the Right Direction
Zothecula writes: Developed by Yale engineer Adam Spiers, the Animotus is a wirelessly-connected, 3D printed cube that changes shape to help direct you like a haptic compass. Gizmag reports: " Spiers designed Animotus when he was involved in a performance of Flatland, an interactive play based on Edwin A. Abbott's 1884 story of a two-dimensional world. As part of the stage production, audience members – both sighted and visually impaired – were kept in complete darkness and walked four at a time though the performance space with narrative voice overs and sound effects telling the story as they wandered through. In their hands, each participant held an Animotus that guided them by changing shape to point them in the right direction. With a multi-sectioned body created in a 3D printer, that Animotus alters shape in response to wireless instructions to indicate the user’s position in their environment. To do this, the top half of the cube twists around to point users toward their next destination and then slides forward to give a relative indication of the distance to get there. As a result, rather than having to look at a device, such as the screen of a smartphone, the user was able to determine their path by touch."
Given the choice between this device and a rock. I'd choose a rock, because at least I'd know what to do with the rock
Not really what I think of when I hear "shape-shifting." A regular compass shape-shifts as much as this thing does. It just... moves.
systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
Hi there, I am the creator of the device. I see you are a grumpy internet person who does not take the time to read things. Let me address your points:
1. "3D printed" - why is this in inverted commas? Yes it is 3D printed on research grade stratsys printers with high resolution and dissolvable support, this is my preferred fabrication platform for most of my research tools, it is not possible to fabricate many of the internal mechanism structures by conventional means while also replicating the device in small quantities.
2. Interwebs - Not sure again what your issue is. The device, like many navigation devices is wirelessly connected to a host service to provide it with navigational information (just like a smartphone).
3. "Haptic" - I am a haptics researcher, I study the sense of touch and create technologies that interface with the sense of touch. In my previous work I have studied touch feedback in remote surgical systems. This device was presented at the World Haptics conference in Chicago, a highly prestigious event with a high impact associated journal. As this device communicates via touch is a haptic device, so again, why the inverted commas?
4. "Tenuous link to Flatland" - not tenuous at all really - the device was developed as part of a theatrical installation of Flatland which involved a professional and long standing dramatic team and significant funding from the premier arts funding body in the UK. The story was adapted in it's entirety for the environment we created and involved a number of professional actors and sound engineers. Almost 100 audience members took part in the production. How is this tenuous?
Here is the original article, I would recommend you read it before posting negative comments based on things you have not take the time to consider or understand: http://news.yale.edu/2015/08/26/shape-shifting-navigation-device-both-sighted-and-visually-impaired