Sixth Sense

Have you ever had the feeling that you're being watched? Research has shown that many people feel uncomfortable using videophone technology. The link is direct, yet somehow disembodied and strange. When we communicate face-to-face in everyday life there are so many subtle signals that go almost unnoticed. Somehow, the essence of these signals is lost when using videophones, people are made to feel uncomfortable, almost like actors.

Sixth Sense attempts to provide a subtle link between two spaces, something soft and flowing that recalls the subconscious signals we process when interacting with each other directly in every day life. The system consists of two intelligent floral 'wallpapers', one in each location, which then communicate with each other.

These two wallpapers are sensitive to sound, light, the number of people in close proximity and other environmental factors. Each wallpaper behaves according to the environment of the other. For example, if a party is going on in one location, the wallpaper in the other will grow and flourish rapidly, with many flowers blooming and dying, leaves falling, etc. By contrast, an empty room will cause the other wallpaper to wither and die. In this way a subtle, subconscious link to another person's environment is created, without any direct video representation.

People also have the opportunity to write messages in the air, which are then displayed on the opposite wallpaper.

I was employed as a design consultant to realise this project, which was displayed at the RCA in 2007. The project enjoyed much interest and was funded by Nokia.