::: Martin Frey. interaction and interface designer :::

::: Martin Frey. interaction and interface designer :::http://www.freymartin.de/en/blogen-us℗ & © 2007 Martin FreyDocumentation videos of the designer Martin FreyMartin FreyThis is the video podcast of the interaction and interface designer Martin Frey. Illustrating documentation videos of his projects are published in this podcast.This is the video podcast of the interaction and interface designer Martin Frey. Illustrating documentation videos of his projects are published in this podcast. http://www.freymartin.de Martin Frey info@freymartin.de JITWatch - the »Just in Time Watch«Martin FreyAs the 'thinking' wrist-watch knows the next date and the remaining way to get there, it shows the time 'relatively'http://www.freymartin.de/en/projects/jitwatch[A conventional watch] Looking at a conventional watch very often a "mental dialogue" happens:<ul><li>What time is it right now?</li><li>When is my next appointment?</li><li>Where does the appointment take place and how long does it take to get there from here?</li><li>Thus, when should I leave?</li><li>How much time is left till then? Should I leave now? Am I already too late?</li></ul>These "on-the-fly" considerations and calculations are not only cumbersome but often very unprecise as well: E.g. the necessary amount of time to cover the distance is estimated too optimistically or depends on irregular, external factors like timetable or traffic situation. [The thinking watch] JIT Watch offers the solution to that problem. JIT Watch is a thinking watch... It is integrated into the user's Personal Area Network and has the capability to connect via Bluetooth with e.g. cell phones. This provides the watch with the following services: The watch knows the wearer's actual position coordinates via GPS, GSM-tracking or other techniques. In addition to that the cell phone enables a data connection with the www. Appointments with site coordinates can thus be synchronized. They were entered in advance e.g. into the cell phone or into the computer with a calendar tool like iCal. Furthermore the watch can access web-based navigation-, timetable- and traffic information services. [Function] The integration of this information enables the watch to process the above described "mental dialogue" itself. Therefore the watch primary shows the time relatively depending on the following appointment and the users's position, as well as the remaining distance and remaining time. The user's actual position is compared with the position the user should be at that point of time to arrive at the final destination at the desired time. Depending on whether he is located close to the should-be position, or lags behind or is already ahead the watch shows that you are good in time, or that you have to hurry up or that you can slow down. This essential information is communicated with intuitively understandable color codes and pulsation if required. If necessary the watch can call the user's attention through vibration.http://www.freymartin.de/images/podcast/jitwatch_podcast_640x360.m4vMon, 30 Jan 2006 00:00:00 +01007:00Martin, Frey, Martin Frey, JITWatch, CabBoots, SnOil, FirstContact, GPS, Navigation Shoes, Navigation, Guidance, Shoes, Virtual, Topography, Ferrofluid, Display, Interaction, Interface, Design, Computer Vision, HMI, Human-Machine Interface, User Interface, Accelerometer, Tilt, Berlin, Munich, GermanyCabBoots - Shoes with Integrated Guidance SystemMartin FreyCabBoots describes the concept for an alternate interface for pedestrian guidance applications. The information transmission process can be perceived tactilely, is intuitively understandable, and is applied to the part of the body most directly involved in the act of walking: the foot.http://www.freymartin.de/en/projects/cabbootsCabBoots is a concept for an innovative interface with a pedestrian navigation system. The information transmission process can be perceived tactilely, is intuitively understandable, and is applied to the part of the body most directly involved in the act of walking: the foot. The applied communications metaphor is familiar to all; it's something that everyone who's ever walked along a well-trodden path is aware of. It functions astoundingly well in this new application. [Starting Point] Conventional navigational devices normally communicate with the user on the acoustic and visual levels. CabBoots pursues a more intuitive mode of information delivery: the feedback is tactilely perceptible. Here, CabBoots utilizes the faculty of kinesthetic perception present in the entire foot and ankle, and thus takes advantage of a simple principle that everyone absorbs as part of the process of learning to walk. ["Walking on a Path"] Paths on a natural surface, for instance - usually have a concave cross-section. When you walk along such a well-trodden path, your feet come down on a flat surface only right in the middle of the trail. Veering over to the edge ofthe path, they land on a slight outward slope that causes the ankle to be angulated slightly. While walking, the body registers this angulation and intuitively compensates by steering back towards the middle. This actually allows you to walk the path "blind". [Virtual Topography] Electromechanical elements in the sole of the CabBoots can produce an artificial angulation of the shoes and, thereby, of the foot. The resulting oblique posture ofthe foot is difficult to distinguish from the real thing. Individual and virtual paths can thus be communicated via the shoe. Tests with a prototype have shown that the principle of walking a well-trodden path also functions on a virtually-generated topography. A decisive advantage accrues from the intuitive perception of the directions given: channels of communication like seeing and hearing are not involved and thus remain available to receive stimuli from other sources. [Future Work] In the initial prototype, tiny flaps were used to generate the path. In future models, it would be preferable to replace them with pneumatic activators or ones based on electrorheological fluids. The software to determine the wearer's position and calculate the subsequent path could run on a mobile device like a cell phone or PDA that can communicate wirelessly with the shoe. Needless to say, CabBoots could also be a great help to people with visual impairments. [UPDATE] [Second Prototype] There is a second, advanced prototype of CabBoots. In this version the shoes host all necessary parts themselves: mechanics, electronics, power supply, rf link etc. The shoes can be strapped on any shoes at a certain size range and are connected wirelessly to a computer (or PDA, mobile phone etc.) via bluetooth. <img src="http://www.freymartin.de/en/projects/cabboots/images/cabboots_prototype2_470x129.jpg" width="470px" height="129px" style="margin-bottom: 0px;" alt="CabBoots - Prototype2" /> The shoes were presented for the first time at <a href="http://www.aec.at/en/festival2006/program/list_projects.asp?iParentID=13459" class="link_extern" target="_blank">ARS Electronica Festival 2006</a>.http://www.freymartin.de/images/podcast/cabboots_podcast_640x360.m4vThu, 30 Jun 2005 00:00:00 +02005:00Martin, Frey, Martin Frey, JITWatch, CabBoots, SnOil, FirstContact, GPS, Navigation Shoes, Navigation, Guidance, Shoes, Virtual, Topography, Ferrofluid, Display, Interaction, Interface, Design, Computer Vision, HMI, Human-Machine Interface, User Interface, Accelerometer, Tilt, Berlin, Munich, GermanySnOil - A Physical Display Based on FerrofluidMartin FreyThe output of the display is enabled by a liquid (called Ferrofluid) that reacts to magnetic fieldshttp://www.freymartin.de/en/projects/snoil[Ferrofluid] Ferrofluid is a liquid that reacts to magnetism. It is attracted by magnets, pretty similar to iron. This can lead to areas where the liquid partly resists to gravitation when a magnet approaches. Thereby a small bump is formed close to the loadstone. This behavior is enabled by magnetic nano-particles that are suspended in a carrier fluid. Normally the particles are coated with a surfactant to prevent their agglomeration. This results in stable ferrofluid dispersions. [Directed deformation] SnOil makes use of the ferrofluids magnetic sensitivity to selectively position and shape the fluid. This is done by electromagnets, which enable the appearing and disappearing of a magnetic field by switching the flow of an electric current. Therefore SnOil consists of two main parts: An approx. 25 by 25 cm sized basin that is filled with ferrofluid up to a height of a few millimeters. Directly underneath there is a grid of 144 (12 by 12) electromagnets that are arranged closely to each other. The magnets are arranged in four structurally identical blocks with 36 pieces each. The electronics for triggering the separate magnets are located on several layers of printed circuit boards directly underneath the layer of magnets. This makes the system highly scaleable in size and its footprint. [Display] This array enables the creation of 144 individually selectable "fluid-bumps". By pulsing the magnetic field intermediate states between maximum and no height can be realized. The maximum elevation of the fluid-accumulation can measure several millimeters in height. The base material of ferrofluid consists of oil. This results in a deep black, strong glossy surface. In addition to the spatial mutation the bumps stand out from the remaining surface due to the changing reflections of the surrounding light sources. The occurrence and the disappearance of the fluid-bumps, as well as the appearance of the surface has a slight mystical and extreme aesthetic impression. Images and animations can be produced in a pixel-graphic style as well as plain pixel-typography. [Snake] Snake is the name of a classic arcade game. A creature, resembling a snake has to be steered over the screen and has to be fed. Each time the snake eats a piece of food, its tail grows. The snake is continuously moving on. Hitting the own tail or touching the "walls" that surround the playing area, the snake looses one life. The simplicity of the game is what made the game very widespread on early entertainment computers and classic video game consoles. This very day the game is popular on e.g. mobile phones. [Snake + Oil = SnOil] There are different reasons, why an interesting application for the ferrofluid-display is based on the game Snake: the food pieces are shaped out of the surrounding fluid and are instantly converted to the snakes body after consumption. So the growth in length of the snakes tail comes along with a real swelling volume of the collected fluid. The snake on the screen is steered by a joystick or a keyboard whereas the input interface of SnOil relies on a straighter action: The player holds the whole ferrofluid-basin in his hands and controls the flow direction of the snake by slightly tilting in the according direction. The controller measures this by tilt-sensors. Having lost three lifes, the game ends with the classical lettering "Game Over" across the display, before a new game can be started.http://www.freymartin.de/images/podcast/snoil_podcast_640x360.m4vSun, 30 Jan 2005 00:00:00 +01005:00Martin, Frey, Martin Frey, JITWatch, CabBoots, SnOil, FirstContact, GPS, Navigation Shoes, Navigation, Guidance, Shoes, Virtual, Topography, Ferrofluid, Display, Interaction, Interface, Design, Computer Vision, HMI, Human-Machine Interface, User Interface, Accelerometer, Tilt, Berlin, Munich, GermanyBartenders GuideMartin FreyBackground information about the drinks can be requested with the aid of the glasses themself on a barhttp://www.freymartin.de/en/projects/bartendersguide[Context] "Bartenders Guide" was developped in the pressure project (one week working time) on the theme "Designing a sensitive skin for a bar". [Idea] "Bartenders Guide" is an interactive display and information system. It communicates with the aid of the surface of the drinks serving counter in a cocktailbar. There concentric stripes around the cocktail glasses appear. Their graduated colors provide information about the ingredients of the drink. [Interface extension] Furthermore the glass can be used as an interface element for an electronic menu. Drinks can be found and associated information about the drink can be provided by the aid of different media. For example: A cocktail could be found by a list of names of drinks, the images of different drinks or by a map showing the origins of the drinks...http://www.freymartin.de/images/podcast/bartendersguide_podcast_640x360.m4vSat, 30 Oct 2004 00:00:00 +02001:00Martin, Frey, Martin Frey, JITWatch, CabBoots, SnOil, FirstContact, GPS, Navigation Shoes, Navigation, Guidance, Shoes, Virtual, Topography, Ferrofluid, Display, Interaction, Interface, Design, Computer Vision, HMI, Human-Machine Interface, User Interface, Accelerometer, Tilt, Berlin, Munich, Germany