A new video is made that introduces the EU-funded project Light.Touch.Matters, in which designers and material researchers have joined forces to develop a completely new generation of smart materials that can sense touch and respond with luminescence.
The base technologies are novel piezo plastics and flexible organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). Being thin, flexible and formable, these ‘light touch materials’ promise to revolutionize product design by integrating luminescence and touch in such a way that eventually the product becomes the interface.
Finally the video presenting SpaceEmotion is released.
SpaceEmotion is a modular system of textile discs that have been embroidered with conductive yarn to generate sensory outputs including light, sound and scent across a custom made surface.
The video is the result of a beautiful day in the forest with a fantastic crew.
Director and editor: Zack Starr
Runners, assistants, scenographers: Kristine Haffgaard, Morten Steensgaard, Michel Guglielmi and Hanne-Louise Johannesen
In May 2012 news came to our ears that our consortium’s submitted EU proposal were among the 3 out of 32 competing entries that got through the second submission round, meaning that grants were given. A long process of setting up the logistics and securing the fulfilment of the initial concepts followed.
Finally in February 2013 the kick-off of ‘Light.Touch.Matters‘ takes place. Light.Touch.Matters is a unique cooperation between product designers, material scientists and the industry, with 17 partners from 9 EU countries. In this project, designers and scientists join forces to develop a new generation of smart materials that can sense touch and movement and respond with light.
The fact that the project involves industry secures a steady way towards realisation of the ideas.
Diffus Design is proud to be part of this very skilled consortium and looks forward to do pioneering work over the next 3.5 years under this framework.
A remarkable thing about Light.Touch.Matters is that for the first time EU have called for designers and engineers to collaborate through the whole development process. The idea behind is that the development process will be accelerated and research in materials and physics, user experiences and design skills are the core qualities and driving forces of the project.
There is 11 science and technology objectives that frame the mission of our consortium:
Achieve continuous and intensive dialogue between product designers and material researchers
Implement and validate an effective design-driven materials R&D methodology
Develop fully-flexible Piezo plastics for low-cost, high-volume touch sensing applications
Develop fully-flexible OLEDs with improved aesthetic properties for signage applications
Trials of the first prototype for the interactive costumes to be created for the “100-Dancers” festival (July 28t-august 5th). Light patterns react to speed and rotation and will be explored by the dancers.
Exchange students from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Schools of Architecture, Design and Conservation (Coline Fontaine, Delphine Piault, Marlene Fisher, Zeynep Sen, Nina Wester) are collaborating on that project…More to come !
