Karaoke Ice An ice cream truck transformed into a mobile karaoke unit. A project by Katie Salen, Marina Zurkow, and Nancy Nowacek.
Scarf An ambient wearable that monitors body temperature and visualizes change
over time.
Synaesthesia A networked installation of sensory exchange between Audial, Visual
and Tactile data.
Network Boxes A CarnivorePE client that visualizes wireless network
activity.
Keyhole One of
eight networked installations in downtown San Jose, CA that addresses surveillance.
Kristin O'Friel is a designer, artist, urbanist, and environmentalist from Hawaii currently living in New York City. She loves to problem solve and is inspired and informed by everyday interactions. Kristin is passionate about cities, sustainable practices, and believes that things in general work better when the people who use them everyday participate in their design. She experiments with applications and physical interfaces that engage people with the world in novel ways. Her work aims to delight the heart, activate the mind, and reveal something about the world.
Kristin O'Friel Google App
Engine, PhoneGap, iPhone (2007, 2009)
KOKUA is a
ride-sharing application for taxis in New York City.
By entering where you are traveling from, where
you are going to, and when, KOKUA returns a list of people around you going to and from similar locations at the
same time. KOKUA is both a web and native iPhone application, so you can coordinate a ride home on your desktop
before leaving the office or find a ride on-the-go from your mobile phone. By sharing the ride, you share the
cost, and reduce your carbon footprint! more
KOKUA is a ride-sharing application for taxis in New York City.
By entering where you are traveling from, where you are going to, and when, KOKUA returns a list of people around you going to and from similar locations at the same time. KOKUA is both a web and native iPhone application, so you can coordinate a ride home on your desktop before leaving the office or find a ride on-the-go from your mobile phone. By sharing the ride, you share the cost, and reduce your carbon footprint!
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
Plott.me is a framework for
sharing stories based on your location.
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.
Operator is a physical installation that calls public payphones by plugging into switchboard nodes.
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.
Kristin O'Friel CO2 Sensors, Mini Gear Motors, Microcontroller, H-bridge, Cotton Fabric, Webbing, Boning, Grommets, Lacing (2008)
CO2RSET is couture that monitors CO2 levels in the atmosphere and responds by tightening or loosening on the body.
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.
Che-Wei Wang / Kristin O'Friel Lasercut
Masonite, Servo Motors, Vibration Motor, GPS, Digital Compass, Microcontroller, Crocheted
Wool (2007)
Momo is a haptic navigation device.
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.
A CarnivorePE client that visualizes wireless network activity.
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.
A project by Katie Salen, Marina Zurkow, and Nancy Nowacek
Designed and produced in collaboration with students and graduates of the San Jose State Cadre Laboratory for New
Media. Web Dev Team (html funk): John Bruneau, Bruce Gardner,
Kristin O'Friel, Michael Weisert Software Dev Team (code connivers): John Bruneau, Kristin O'Friel, Corrie Tse, Michael WeisertBuild
Team (heroes of heavy metal): Thomas Asmuth, Sarah Lowe, Owen Premore, Ben
Ward Music: Lem Jay Ignacio Performance, Software, Truck, Icies,
Squirrel Emcee, Lights, Website (2006)
Karaoke Ice is an ice cream truck transformed into a mobile karaoke unit.
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.
Commissioned for ZeroOne San Jose: A Global Festival of Art on the Edge, CADRE / SJSU, and the Montalvo Arts Center Sally and Don Lucas Artists Programs.
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)
A networked installation of sensory exchange between Audial, Visual and Tactile data.
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.
One of
eight networked installations in downtown San Jose, CA that addresses surveillance.
Exhibited
April-May 2004 1st Street San Jose, CA In collaboration with Phantom Galleries, Anno Domini
Keyhole is one of eight storefront installations that make up the Downtown Exhibition along the north side of
First Street in San Jose, California. This formerly burgeoning shopping district now consists of vacant buildings,
making it an ideal location for an intervention. The Downtown Exhibition is a networked set of art projects that
reflect back on each other and on the intervening space. Keyhole is an installation that addresses the pervasive
nature of surveillance in the city and aims to investigate the framework of surveilling dynamics.