Look. I'm thinking of you.

Addictlab's most recent research (our #29th already!) is all about 'in.tangible.scape.s' (You might ask yourself : 'What's with the dots?' - or you might think we're actually really clever to have at least 4 meanings in one title...)

Most promising is the fact that Addictlab has been receiving support from some organisations that are not the least in their line of work...
Thanks to Giovanna Massoni's Lab Researcher activities resulting in collaborations with the MOMA, NY,
Design incubation Centre, Singapore,
Science Gallery, Dublin,
Philips, Netherlands
V2, Rotterdam,
Imec, Leuven
and Domus Academy, Milan we do are developing our labresearch more globally.


Now have a look at the following concept, send to us via the Design Incubation Centre from Singapore.


Roly Poly
Web 2.0 is changing the way people interact resulting in the emergence of a new social eco-system. This concept would like to address the unmet and undefined needs within this new social eco-system through the creation of robotic social tools. Roly Poly looks at the phenomenon of people living apart and examines gesture as a different mode of communication other than speech and text. Through gestures, one is able to transmit him/herself physically to the other party even when miles apart. Roly Poly connects two individuals in real time through a familiar gestural dimension. Roly Poly is a manifestation of how sophisticated robotic technology can be integrated into our daily lives as expressive and communicative social tools.

Ok, I do not think the playful 'Roly Poly' name is doing justice to the concept. But imagine how this concept allows for communication and interaction between people miles apart, in distance, or, why not, in time. It's romantic, or sad, depending how you look at it.
Of course, if you change the hardware you 're pretty close to having real virtual sex - but that is then the more tangible result of an in.tangible concept.



Labfile