#technologyexample

ototo is a musical invention kit which allows anyone to quickly and easily create their own electronic musical instrument. with ototo you can unpack the kit and make anything from a drum kit of saucepans to origami that sing when touched. 

it's about exploring the spatial qualities of RFID.

printed electronics is an emerging technology with the potential to change how we interact. we can now reliably print basic electronic components onto paper and card; and when connected to conventional electronics, has the potential to re-connect digital to physical for album covers, fanzines, merchandise, and getting new music heard.

you don't have to experience the internet on a screen or a smartphone. by looking sideways we explore more platforms and create richer, more meaningful and more profitable interactions. together, we have developed a set of paper apps that demonstrate the potential for printed electronics.

paper is ubiquitous. it's low cost, high value and high volume. printed electronics is an opportunity to merge print traditional media skills and production methods with digital contents and services in new, often unexpected ways. 

sam is a series of postage stamp-sized sensors and actuators that combine hardware and software with internet connectivity and promise access to the internet of things with no circuit design or coding experience required. unlike littlebits, which treats electronics components like lego bricks to be snapped together, or open source microprocessor boards which require some facility with a soldering iron, sam modules are free-floating, standalone units outfitted with their own power source and wireless radio which can communicate with a PC-based app up to 45 feet away. apps are written using a drag and drop interface and each lightweight unit is just under an inch square and over a quarter inch thick, making them unobtrusive additions to almost any project. the current lineup of modules includes eight inputs, including buttons and sliders as well as proximity, light, and temperature sensors; and five outputs, like motors and lights. despite a limited palette of options, users have been able to conjure impressive products. the common thread was an ability to think about their creative goals rather than fiddling with fabrication. 

these are very special moments, where you get a glimpse of what electronics is meant to be used for, when non-techies get it in their hands.