Bench stores memories in shadows
The benches are typical analog objects in public places. However, the benches often host stories and human experiences and if they could talk, they would have very interesting things to share. While normally the benches can’t express themselves this did not stop Joshua Barnes from creating a smart version of them.
Bench
The British designer, based in Brighton, actually built a solar park bench that stores memories in shadows. This of course requires a series of explanations: The post – digital bench described by the designer, invites anyone who sits on it to record a story which could be played exactly one year after the prospective user. The idea is to change the way technology access our memories, sharing personal stories with totally unknown people creates a completely novel approach of public life.
Bench memories
The procedure is the following: The passer sits on the bench and records a personal history with his smartphone or tablet. He can even pull a intriguing photo with his shadow as interwoven with the play of shadows the bench on the ground. The exact position of the moving shadow and the recording time creates a fingerprint, which is associated with the user’s video. A year later, anyone can sit on the bench using an application to take a picture of the shadow of benches, which will be recognized through virtual reality time imprint of the past that had been stored in the shadow of the seat the same day and time a year before! Each hourly footprint shadow is transformed into a “key” providing access to “time capsule” memory. The bench is even mellowed in such a way that the shadows act as a sundial, to simplify the procedure for recognition of digital footprints. The latitude and longitude positioning bench plays such an important role in the angle of the shadow created, which means that such a bench designed for Brighton will look completely different from a corresponding that will be fitted in Sydney.
By Nicole P.
