“It combines the studio’s artistry and expertise in creating compelling animatronic characters with state of the art research in socially intelligent robots. We have christened this new character collaboration with a name that embodies art, science and invention. Hence, the name “Leonardo” — namesake of Leonardo DaVinci, the Renaissance scientist, inventor and artist.”
Talking Tree is a project by EOS, a science and nature magazine from Belgium. A hundred year old tree in Brussels has been fitted with a complex system of cameras, sensors and solar panels that are monitoring its activities and translating them into words.
“In recent years we have witnessed the growth of a new breed of consumer products and services that are a hybrid of tangible atoms and online bits. This exhibition offers a selection of products, demonstrators, videos and art objects that highlight the ways in which online social media now are becoming an important part of the functionality, design and desirability of new products and services. As products and services become increasingly digital and disappear into screens, Hybrids exemplifies some alternative strategies, where some of the magic of the social web seep out into the physical world through tangible things.”
Pingo is a tiny, adorable Facebook friend! Irresistibly cute and playful, Pingo is an interactive companion who keeps you entertained and on your toes. Even when you’re not at your computer, Pingo connects you to Facebook and other favorite websites in a wildly fun and engaging way.
Announces emails and messages from friends
Reads aloud up-to-the minute news, weather and markets via RSS
Responds to your voice commands
Zooms, roams, rolls around your desk
Interacts with other Pingo owners through our Facebook app
Connects you to your favorite websites even when the browser is off
With a small bit of software and a tiny physical device any object with a power cord can become a networked object and connected to the web. It’s part of an effort to fill the gap between “smart” and low-tech devices. For eample a desk lamp could order itself new lightbulbs, or a Refrigerator could alert you to pick up milk in your car on your way home. The team behind this is calling it a “social network for everyday objects” because you can use an online dashboard to create unique profiles for different objects in your house and connect them to a variety of web services. Another term used to describe this kind of thing is the “internet of things”.
