My dissertation Computational Composites - Understanding the Materiality of Computational Technology has been accepted for defense.

The defense will take place at the IT UNIVERSITY in Copenhagen in aud. 3 (2nd floor) on December 15th from 13.00 - 16.00 (ish) with a small reception afterwards.

The afternoon will roughly be as follows:

I will present my work which will be understandable for everyone (approx. one hour).

Small break.

The committee (LARS HALLNÄSS, JOANNA BERZOWSKA, and LONE MALMBORG) will then discuss and critique my work - this I look particularly forward to.

Last but not least there will be a reception at the ITU.

Abstract:
The problematic addressed in this dissertation is generally shaped by a sensation that something is amiss within the area of ubiquitous computing. Ubiquitous computing as a vision—as a program—sets out to challenge idea of the computer as a desktop computer as means to explore the potential o the new microprocessors and network technologies. But the understanding of the computer represented within this program poses a challenge for its own intentions. The computer understood as a multitude of invisible intelligent information devices confines the computer as means to solve well defined problems within specified contexts—something which rarely exists in practice.

Nonetheless, the computer will continue to grow more ubiquitous as moors law still withold and as it becomes ever cheaper. The question is how, and for what we will use it? How will it, for instance, be implemented in design and architecture and in what new directions we will take the technological developments? We need a new understanding of the computer to guide these developments as none of the previous withhold these new conditions and new opportunities.

I propose that we begin to understand the computer as a material along any other material we would use for deisgn, like wood, aluminum, or plastic. That as soon as the computer forms a compositions with other materials it becomes just as approchable and inspiring as other smart materials.

I present a series of investigations of what this understanding could entail in terms of developing new expressional apperences of computational technology, new ways of working with it, and new technological possibilities. The investigations are carried out in relation to or as part of three experiments with computers and materials, later reffered to as PLANKS, copper computational composite, and Telltale. Through the investigations I show how the computer can be understood as a material and how it partake in a new material strand of materials whose expressions come to be in context. I uncover some of their essential material properties and potential expressions. I develop a way of working with them in a design process despite their complexity and non a priori existence and finally I argued how these investigations form both valid and valuable research results within the context of design research.

Today we (Tomas Sokoler and I) got the first copper computational composite up and running — it still needs a lot of finishing though. This material sample is an exploration of using the computer to meddle with material cause-and-effects. In this sample we turn the copper’s thermodynamic properties up-side-down meaning, this tile turns cold when heated and vice-versa… (for more on the ideas behind it SEE)

We are using: Lillypad, copper, peltier elements, and a temperature sensor.

SLIDES

I’m looking forward to participate in the second workshop on TRANSITIVE MATERIALS arranged by the brave Marcelo Coelho, Ivan Poupyrev, Sajid Sadi, Roel Vertegaal, Joanna Berzowska, Leah Buechley, Pattie Maes, and Neri Oxman.

POSITION PAPERS:
Olivier Bau, Uros Petrevski and Wendy Mackay 
BubbleWrap: A Textile-Based Electromagnetic Haptic Display [Video] 

Hrvoje Benko and Andrew D. Wilson
Design Challenges of Interactive Spherical User Interfaces

Keywon Chung and Hiroshi Ishii
Fusing Computation into Mega-Affordance Objects

Marcelo Coelho, Ivan Poupyrev, Sajid Sadi, Roel Vertegaal et al.
 Programming Reality: From Transitive Materials to Organic User Interfaces

Omar Khan et al. 
Reflexive Architecture Machines

Hyunjung Kim and Woohun Lee 
Shade Pixel: Interactive Skin for Ambient Information Displays

Tim R Merritt et al. 
Empathetic Biological Media

Greg Saul and Mark D Gross 
Co-Designed Paper Devices

Eric Schweikardt and Mark D. Gross 
Designing Systems to Design Themselves

Jinsil Seo 
Creating Immersive Light Spaces

Erin Treacy Solovey et al. 
Programming Reality within the Reality-Based Interaction Framework

Mette Ramsgard Thomsen 
Textile Logics in a Moving Architecture

Anna Vallgårda 
The Material Relation

Michael Philetus Weller, Mark D Gross and Seth Copen Goldstein 
Hyperform Specification: Designing with Self-reconfiguring Materials

Jamie Zigelbaum and Jean-Baptiste Labrune 
Some Challenges of Designing Shape Changing Interfaces

Next week we’ll have the public premiere of the PLANKS in motion…

At the SMART SPACE - The Age of Intelligence in Buildings and Furniture conference the PLANKS [pdf] will be part of the EXHIBITION.

On November 4th I’ll be presenting at WHEN PRACTICE BECOMES RESEARCH a seminar arranged by FLEMMING TVEDE HANSEN and held at THE DANISH MUSEUM OF ART AND DESIGN in Copenhagen.

I’ll talk about the methodological questions I’ve struggled with in my work with experiments and theory in a design research context.

Speakers:

HANNA LANDIN, Ph.D stipendiat, Interaction Design Collegium, Chalmers, Göteborg

GRETE REFSUM, Research Artist/ Critical Designer, Oslo National Academy of the Arts

ANNA VALLGÅRDA, Ph.D stipendiat, The IT University of Copenhagen

PIA STAFF, Ph.D stipendiat, The University of Art and Design, Helsinki

FLEMMING TVEDE HANSEN, Ph.D stipendiat, The Danish Design School

PER GALLE, Associate Professor, The Danish Design School

KIRSTEN NISSEN, Ph.d. stipendiat, Designskolen Kolding

The seminar will be open for the public, the fee will be 100 DKK., which will cover a lunchsandwich and refreshment.

Update: Unfortunately I was I’ll for this one–still am in fact. But I hope they had a good time with interesting discussions!

I’m going to NORDICHI in October with a DESIGN CASE about the PLANKS and the ideas around COMPUTATIONAL COMPOSITES. More later..

Update: As promised, a video of my PRESENTATION with the following critique and discussion…

ACHI 2009, The Second International Conferences on Advances in Computer-Human Interactions 
February 1-6, 2009 - Cancun, Mexico 

GENERAL PAGE || CALL FOR PAPERS 

Submission deadline: September 1, 2008

Submissions will be peer-reviewed, published by IEEE CPS, posted in IEEE Digital Library, and indexed with the major indexes. Extended versions of selected papers will be published in IARIA JOURNALS