Singing the body electric
Fabio Sergio
June 2009

social networks
smart cities
internet of things
2

3

the body as a terminal
the body as a node
(the body as a conduit)
4

ubicomp

6

ubi-conn

Julian Bleeker, 2006
“ We are now in an era
of pervasive networks
and are thus more properly
“in”, not “on” the network.
Careful choice of prepositions
helps to think more clearly
about not only the stakes of
cohabiting with things within
8

Timo Arnall, 2008 | www.nearfield.org
9

ubi-comm

co-dependence
Kevin Kelly, “The next 5000 days of the web”, 2008

the body as a terminal
12

“A cochlear implant, as it is known,
would trigger my auditory nerves with 16
electrodes that snaked inside my inner ear.”
Michael Chorost, Wired, November 2005
Frontiers of Interaction V Singing the body electric © 2009 frog design. confidential & proprietary. June 2009 13

the (first) weird question

When will we start to consider
having a face to face conversation
over the phone?

Jawbone | www.jawbone.com
“

Lyric Hearing | www.lyrichearing.com
“
Frontiers of Interaction V Singing the body electric © 2009 frog design. confidential & proprietary. June 2009 17

ubi.comm +
noise suppression +
in-ear +
I hear voices: yours

Mac Fuminazu | http://petitinvention.wordpress.com
“
20

visible, invisible, visible

Wikitude | www.mobilizy.com
“
22

contemplating
your own discomfort
23

Ralph Bremenkamp | www.frogdesign.com

William Gibson, Neuromancer, 1984

“Borgs” outside the MIT, circa 1995

Pranav Mistry, 6th Sense, MIT, 2009

the (second) weird question

would you give away an eye,
to have it replaced with a camera?

Rob Spence | www.eyborgblog.com

Rob Spence | www.eyborgblog.com

more contemplation time

Philips Design probe, 2007, SKIN: tattoo

Jim Mielke, sub-dermal bluetooth display, 2008

the body as a node

Google Latitude | www.google.com/latitude

Suunto | www.suunto.com
Frontiers of Interaction V Singing the body electric © 2009 frog design. confidential & proprietary. June 2009 37

Nintendo Wii | www.wii.com

frog design, e-monitors, 2009

Dexcom | www.dexcom.com www.sixuntilme.com beclever.wordpress.com

mass-market enablers
are here already

Apple iPhone 3.0 & LifeScan

Lee Maguire, 2009
“ So what happens when
the device that records
your medical status
is also the device
you use to update
your social connections?”

your heartbeat becomes
a conversation

one last consideration
one last reference
one last (weird) question

photo: Tony Blay
46

that thing absorbing and beaming
bits won’t be a device
you’ll be wearing.
it will be you

“I can see through satellites now”
Warren Ellis & Adi Granov, Iron Man, 2008

we know how that feels, right?

how quickly is augmented reality
leading us to feel the need
for an augmented body
to fully take advantage of it?

in other words...

would you give an eye
to see through satellites?

fabio.sergio@frogdesign.com