SENSITIVE SCIENCE

Designer and innovator Daan Roosegaarde and Heijmans Infrastructure presented the first prototypes of the 'Smart Highway' during Dutch Design Week, selected 'Best Future Concept' by the Dutch Design Awards. For good reason. Using the latest technology, the studio's concept is to build roads that are more sustainable, safe, and intuitive.

Rather than focus on the car to innovate the driving experience, the focus of the project is to innovate the highway. Designs such as Glow-in-the-Dark Road, Dynamic Paint, Interactive Light, Induction Priority Late and Wind Light seek to make roads that are interactive, energy-saving, and adaptive.

These designs will be realized within the next five years, with the first iterations by mid-2013 in the Netherlands.

The 'Smart Highway' project is truly the Route 66 of the future.

Text by Ryan Moritz

www.studioroosegaarde.net

Mixing water, technology, and public art, the Water Light Graffiti project is at once fluid and beautiful while at the same time transitory and digital. The project was conceived at Digitalarti, a lab dedicated to the digital art community at large. Welcoming artists, organizers, galleries, and collectors, the site and quarterly print magazine invites the public to share experiences, information and digital tools.

An artist in residence at Digitalarti Artlab, Antonin Fourneau created the Water Light Graffiti project. As described by the artist, the project surface is designed of thousands of LED lights which are illuminated by contact with water.

To activate the lights, one can use a paintbrush, spray bottle, sponge, or just about anything damp. The artist writes, "Water Light Graffiti is a wall for ephemeral messages in the urban space without deterioration. A wall to communicate and share magical in the city."

Subject Cécile Poignant - Text Ryan Moritz

Antonin Fourneau' web site

Landscape Abbreviated is a art installation by the young artist Nova Jiang for Wave Hill, the public garden & cultural center located in the Bronx. She created a little kinetic maze, with a floating garden, control by machines. His goal was to create a experience where a simple intervention could create an unpredictable paths.

I especially love this «modern» adaptation of a maze with a software that randomize the path so accordingly change your way of thinking to find an exit. It’s a beautiful metaphor of the serendipity, have exterior effect that forcing you to think differently.

This installation is quite little, but imagine a street, even a city where the nature drives your behavior and not this opposite like today.

Thomas Bouillot - New Grids By Thomas

Nova Jiang

Wave Hill

Thomas Bouillot is studying advertising/brand communication, he has already worked in several french and american design/advertising agencies for few internships.

He is interested in blending design, technology and strategy. He also interested in the international cultural difference, the New Hollywood period, Beatnik books, Arduino, triathlon…

In spring 2011 he launched "New Grids" with the aim to introduce people some design work and planning thought.

Thomas will regularly share with Trendtablet's friends his best found.

New Grids by Thomas

Feld is a german studio specialized in «digital crafts», they design some digital objects connected to the physical world, or like here to the nature.

We see more and more works that connect nature and technology, it’s like a will of find another way to the eternal debate digital vs craft/traditional. Both are necessary, and when both are connected, they can bring us great experiences.

In this project, an arduino based computer is connected to the grass, for translate into a heart beat the growing phenomenon. An original way to realize when your plants need attention or when they’re in good mood.

www.feld.is