Riddle lamp
Turn a simple cheap object into an interactive product, present the idea and build an interactive prototype
My role:It's a team project. I participated in ideation and concept development, prototyping and programming of interaction.
Solution:A riddle lamp, that can be given as a present. The light is in the shell, but there is no sign of how to open it or switch it on. A user has to solve that riddle. A little challenge combined with the concept of nature can give an emotional response in interaction.
We decided to concentrate on a natural element and try to keep the essence of how it works in its natural habitat and make something mystical, with an element of surprise for the user. After some exploration, we chose a shell as the object to be hacked, as it fulfilled all the requirements. Since shells are associated with the feeling of finding a treasure, like a pearl, the element of curiosity of 'what is inside' was identified as the motivation for the user to use the hacked object.
Idea
As the artist is not widely known in the first part of the exhibition we show the visitors a short film animated in Reiniger's style about her life, her techniques and inventions.
Two parts of the shell are connected with hinges, inside the shell is LED. Servo motor closes and opens the shell, water sensor is outside the box, detecting water level. The board and power sources are inside the box. The capacitive sensor is just an aluminum foil under the shell. When it detects the touch, the servo motor opens the shell. On the second touch, it closes the shell. When the water sensor detects water and the shell is open the LED is switching on. If there is no water or the shell is closed, the LED is switched off.
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