This proposal consists of a collection of remote negotiations which encourage in-person interaction. Conceived for a couple who would like to spend more time together, these tangible interfaces bring the couple together for three important activities (dinner, relaxation, and sleep) by rendering their activities impossible while apart.
The first negotiation links the motion of a refrigerator door at home with the upward rotation of a chair seat at work. If the individual at home would like to begin to prepare dinner, the action of opening the refrigerator door “nudges” the worker to come home. Ultimately, preparation of dinner cannot begin until the worker has left the chair. The second negotiation links the flow of water through a kitchen tap with the flow of warm air through the living room. If one individual attempts to turn on the flow of water to wash the dishes, warm air will stop flowing into the other room, causing the other individual to become cold while relaxing in the living room. The third negotiation links the comfort of a bed with the light levels in the nearby study. If one partner would like to sleep, the other partner will have difficulty continuing to work.
Dhruv Jain, Yujie Hong, Jim Peraino, Hiroshi Ishii
