Projects

Kristin O'Friel
Google App Engine, PhoneGap, iPhone
(2007, 2009)

KOKUA is a ride-sharing application for taxis in New York City.

KOKUA is a ride-sharing application for taxis in New York City.

This project began a few years ago on a painfully cold February morning in New York City. I was running late to work and needed a cab, with the rest of Manhattan, on a morning when taxis were few and people aggressively vied for the next ride. I stood on the icy curb, without a cab in sight, surrounded by people all going in the same direction, wishing I could share a taxi (and the fare) instead of fend for it. This situation was clearly in need of improvement and I immediately began to sketch out a solution.

I set out to make an application that would provide context and mediate the social transaction of ride-sharing, so people could enjoy the benefit of splitting the cost of taxi transportation, without the unnecessary social risk involved in approaching a complete stranger. Another goal was to maximize efficiency by matching rider demand with vehicle availability. Taxis currently 'cruise' the street forty percent of the time creating unnecessary stress on the environment, driver, vehicle and road. This excess could be reduced, not only by coordinating like rides between passengers, but by broadcasting or automatically dispatching rides on-demand to the nearest available vehicle. This would remove the bias involved in traditional dispatch and could easily be customized to avoid imposing on existing service distribution.

In addition to familiarizing myself with industry standards and regulations, my research consisted of weekly field exercises to investigate the experiences and behavior of both taxi drivers and passengers of New York City. I spent many afternoons with my notebook watching people maneuver the curb, manage their bags, and negotiate each other, as they hailed, got in, and out of taxis. In the spirit of role-playing I rented a Zipcar and spent the afternoon picking strangers up in the street and taxiiing them around the city. I interviewed dozens of pedestrians and I took multiple cab rides a week to talk to drivers and hear their opinion on initiatives being implemented by the TLC.

It was during one of these conversations that the driver told me he had been on his shift for an hour and a half and I was his second passenger. Historically, taxi ridership has mapped closely to the economy, and it became clear that the current economic climate was impacting this man's livelihood. It appeared to be a great time to leverage common sense and create a service that would generate revenue for the driver, by increasing the number of riders, while saving money for the passenger, by reducing the cost of travel.

Exercises of this kind were wonderfully insightful into how people use taxis, what aspect of the experience could stand improvement, and how a service like KOKUA might work best in New York City. I would like to thank everyone who has contributed, your experiences were invaluable and greatly informed the current design decisions.

The project is actively in development, if you would like to test the beta version or be notified when it publicly launches please email: info [at] kokuarides [dot] com

We are interested in exploring the relationship between narrative and physical space, specifically investigating how an immersive context transforms traditional narrative form. Plott.me provides online tools to record and upload audio and images, as well as geo-tag them with locations. This enables authors to record their own location-based stories. We developed on two platforms to explore the delivery of location-specific content: the iPhone and Google Maps' 'Street View'. We enlisted the iPhone for its ability, as a mobile device, to use natural movement through physical space as its interface - allowing for sustained narrative experience. We leveraged Google's database of compelling panoramic imagery in Street View to enable an alternative exploration of physical space online.

Mitch Said / Kristin O'Friel
Laser Etched Anodized Aluminum, Analog Phone, Phone Adapter, Asterisk, Microcontroller, XPort, Ethernet Cable, Audio Jacks, Audio Cable, Shift Registers, LEDs
(2008)

Operator is a physical installation that puts the user in the role of a switchboard operator. Presented with a patchcord and a grid of nodes representing US States, the user can place live calls to public payphones around the country by plugging into a node (or multiple nodes). A list of public telephones in that state are then dialed and all answering parties are bridged into a conference call with the user.

Developed at the Interactive Telecommunications Program, NYU

Kristin O'Friel
CO2 Sensors, Mini Gear Motors, Microcontroller, H-bridge, Cotton Fabric, Webbing, Boning, Grommets, Lacing
(2008)

I am interested in making objects that enable you to feel information your senses are not acutely aware of. The corset form was selected for its ability to assert influence over the wearer's breath to provide a visceral reminder and bring awareness to air quality on an intimate scale.

Developed at the Interactive Telecommunications Program, NYU

Momo is a haptic navigational device that requires only the sense of touch to guide a user. No maps, no text, no arrows, no lights. It sits in the palm of your hand and leans, vibrates, and gravitates towards a preset location. Akin to someone pointing you in the right direction, there is no need to find your map, you simply follow as the device leans toward your destination. more

Momo is a haptic navigational device that requires only the sense of touch to guide a user. No maps, no text, no arrows, no lights. It sits in the palm of your hand and leans, vibrates, and gravitates towards a preset location. Akin to someone pointing you in the right direction, there is no need to find your map, you simply follow as the device leans toward your destination.

Momo is twelve inches tall, it has an eight inch diameter and weighs approximately one pound.

The possible user scenarios that can come out of this device range from treasure hunts to assistive technology for the forgetful. We currently have preprogrammed GPS coordinates of twelve NYC parks and use Momo as a tour guide. Detached from the map users are free to experience the city as they move with ease from one destination to the next at their own leisurely pace.

Momo developed out of a desire to create a non-visual form of navigation. We wanted to create a mechanism to guide a user that relied exclusively on the sense of touch.

Circumventing the map, Momo provides positive emotional experiences, enabling people to feel empowered in unfamiliar spaces. Visitors and residents alike can find themselves at play, discover new places, share secrets and meet each other as they move through the city with momo.

Momo is comprised of a GPS module, digital compass, an arduino board, two servo motors and a vibration motor.

Momo's armature was 3-D modeled and laser cut out of masonite. The structure has a flexible mid-section to accommodate 360-degrees of rotation made possible using two centrally located servo motors. Using your current position and your relation to North the microcontroller calculates the angle to your destination and controls the motor's movement to point you in the right direction. Momo's sweater was crocheted out of wool, cotton, and love, creating a soft, huggable surface.

Visit Momo's website here.

Created with support from
Developed at the Interactive Telecommunications Program, NYU

Utilizing CarnivorePE, a network packet sniffer developed by Rhizome.org, the piece listens to wireless network activity extracting the IP address and port number from each data packet transfer. Visually, each packet transfer is represented by a new box object whose color is defined by the port number being accessed and then stacked linearly according to IP address. In this way, every string of box objects is representative of one network user's IP address and accurately monitors the network activities of that person.

Developed at CADRE, SJSU

Karaoke Ice is an ice cream truck transformed into a mobile karaoke unit, customized with karaoke mics, disco ball, speakers, and driven by a squirrel cub with a penchant for cheap magic. The truck, or Lucci as she is known, is a tasty pop culture hybrid, one that brings three familiar expressions of "network culture"-ice cream trucks, datasets, and karaoke bars-to the festival streets of San Jose.

Kristin O'Friel
Crocheted Wire, Temperature Sensors, Microcontroller, Python, OpenGL
(2005)

Recovering project documentation from failed HD.

Visual: Franklin Clark, Chris Head, Shawn Jackson, Aaron Siegel

Audial: Andy Lau, Jeff Wilcox, Corrie Tse, Crystal Ma

Tactile: Ethan Miller, Mike Weisert, Kristin O'Friel
(2005)

Synaesthesia is a neurological phenomenon characterized by a secondary expression of sensory information crossing over between the senses. It was with this in mind that we established three sensory groups, Audial, Visual, and Tactile, and created a system of sensory exchange and translation. Input was collected by each sensory group and sent as numeric data to be transposed and expressed by the other teams.

Corrie Tse / Kristin O'Friel
Projector, Rear Projection Fabric, Webcams, mini LCD, Max/MSP, Flash, PCs
(2004)

Exhibited April-May 2004
1st Street San Jose, CA
In collaboration with Phantom Galleries, Anno Domini