Synesthesia is the neurological phenomenon where stimulating one sense triggers a response in another, resulting in experiences like tasting scents or seeing sounds.

The Physical Sequencer from designer Giuseppe Guerriero merges the worlds of dance with music into a single act of a creation. The standing interface includes elements that respond to both movement and touch, translating these gestures into corresponding sounds that would be a welcome addition to your next rave. The system features 56 proximity sensors arranged throughout a 7′ x 8′ grid. It reminds us a little of a modern day take on Theremin, only for the slightly more hyperactive set.

[via Yanko Design]

Matt Jones has a t-shirt with a secret. Similar to a QR code, there is a hidden layer of information embedded into the design.

The pattern of dots and spaces can be mapped onto a Tenori-On electronic musical instrument (or an iPhone simulator of the device), and will produce the sounds below.
tenori-on t-shirt by moleitau
[via Magical Nihilism]

The “future dining table” designed by Petr Kubik is a multi-purpose kitchen appliance that combines the functions of cooking and eating in the form of the familiar dining room table.

The table has hidden compartments to store your food and appliances, and the surface OLED changes from opaque to transparent to reveal the refrigerated food underneath. Different foods are compartmentalized and drinks can be retrieved from the centre core. A mini-dish washer, toaster, micro-wave, coffee maker are stored underneath the inner circle. While making meals, you can browse for recipes or read the news off the tabletop that functions as a [...]

Design Commission’s beautiful stainless steel iPhone stencil is meant to help developers sketch easy and clean application interface design ideas. The stencil includes outlines for the iPhone’s icons and blank interface shapes, and comes with a Zebra mechanical pencil. The stencils are part of a limited edition of only 100.
[via Gizmodo]

We have written many times about Interface founder Ray Anderson and his mission to create a company that wants to put back into the environment more than it takes out. As part of that mission, he lectures and gives talks to ensure reduce their impact on the world. In this video from TED 2009, he takes the audience through the story of his company, the epiphany that his company was doing wrong to the Earth, the steps he took to rectify that, and the lessons he wants to pass on to others.

Interface

We recently profiled Multitouch Barcelona at OFFF. They have just released a video of their Human Interface interpretation, which includes a person executing analog versions of digital tasks. A surface-top touch screen serves as communication between you and your very personal Human Interface. Be sure to check out the rest of their projects here.

We covered the ITP: Winter Show (and Part 2) several months ago, and yesterday at the ITP Spring Show, graduate students featured more inventive projects mixing art and technology. Here’s a round-up of some projects we found interesting.

Lumarca by Matt Parker
A series of staggered strings that catch the light from a projector, Lumarca adds a third dimension to projected surfaces.

Lumarca Vid1 from Matt Parker on Vimeo.

TUUUG-of-War by Nobu Nakaguchi
Tuuug-of-War is a multi-player tug-of-war where participants use their voice to compete. The louder you yell “tug” the harder your character pulls the rope. Groups of six people can dial in to [...]

Given reality’s inherent limitations – saddled with realness and only able to offer us information that we can intuit from our five senses – it’s no wonder that more and more people are turning to their increasingly complex mobile devices to rediscover that zest they once had for life, hoping to add another layer of meaning to their experiences in the world. But what if that capability was already at our fingertips? Thanks to an ongoing MIT project called “SixthSense,” the future is now – albeit a bit clunky – and life just got a lot more interactive.  Their about page [...]