This article explores various themes in physical computing, their mechanisms and applications. Many different projects are shown here, including theremin-like instruments, gloves, video mirrors, dolls and pets and Scooby-Doo paintings.
The ones that I found most interesting are definitely the mechanical pixels and the multi-touch interfaces. The mechanical pixels were very similar to many projects I saw in fashion, where there are moving parts in structured ball gowns; adding mechanical components to clothing was pretty interesting. These certainly aren’t very practical, but rather serve as a structured display of fashion and aesthetics. I wondered whether the same technique was being applied here. I have interacted with multi-touch interfaces before at art exhibitions and installations at Expo 2020 Dubai, where the movements of my hands would direct shooting stars and flying comets. This sort of physical computing has always fascinated me, it really feels fun and interactive.
Overall, I found many of the projects very inspirational and interesting. Physical computing is a very new discipline for me, and these projects helped me see the trends and themes evolving within the broad field. These projects definitely serve as a foundation for many great projects, some hits and some misses.