Switch Critters

Switch Critters instigate a re-imagining
of, and re-engagement with the world through provocative interactions.

Prototype Switch Critters: the Gummy Ball, Anenome, and Clamshroom.

Switch Critters are physically animated interactive objects that, when played with, can be persuaded to perform specific everyday tasks such as turning on lights and starting the car. Their behaviors are influenced by data flows, such as the quality of local air, the load on the power grid and the global carbon index. Data becomes mood, designed into personality. Switch Critters know something about the world that people can absorb through observation, interaction... and a little bit of imagination.

←The animated films, at left, show scenarios for how streaming data can form the behavior of an object. And how that behavior can be interpreted and elaborated on by users to create rich personal narratives. These are the “Imagined Worlds” of Switch Critters. Accompanying each imagined world is its “straight story,” a detailed description for each proposed Critter’s interactions and designed behavior.

As cultural objects, Switch Critters create space for users to think and create new narratives about how we live and relate to the infrastructures of electricity and fuel. Without being didactic, Switch Critters are realtime bioindicators of the technological ecologies they are part of. In contemporary urban culture, the actions of power consumption have been simplified to a turn of a key or a flick of a switch, but there is so much more behind the scenes. As outgrowths of the electrical and fuel ecologies, Switch Critters ask us to wonder about and be affected by what is behind the scenes. →Read more on the Cultural Objects pages…

A person interacting with a Switch Critter may learn how to observe its changing behavior as an indicator of environmental change, or may invent a narrative that makes more personal sense, or some combination of the above. It is an opt-in situation that aims to raise interest and awareness in general, not press people into guilt about living their lives. →Read more on the Related Work and Theory pages…

Integrating the imaginative possibilities of use into the design process, the short films represent glimpses into imagined worlds created through collaboration with creative writers. In a process of “Imagination Research,” three different prototype Switch Critters were given to creative writers, who were then asked to produce pieces inspired by their experience with the object. The Switch Critters in the films display dynamic behaviors that were inspired by the writers’ responses. Intended as continued provocations, the films are open-ended in their own right. They portray possible recollections, wonder, apathy, and annoyance that would accompany having to stop and negotiate for light or transportation. →Read more about the Creative Process, Prototypes and Writing as Research on their pages…

→This website contains the entirety of the writing and documentation of Hannah Regier's 2007 Art Center College of Design, Media Design Program, MFA Thesis.

the straight story…

the interactions explained:

The Switch Critter responds to the load on the local power grid. As power use diminishes, the Critter stands up, when the load increases the Critter lays down flat.

To turn on the lights with the Switch Critter, you “balance” it in the same position on the opposite side of vertical from where it is. Thus, more motion is required to turn on the light when power use is high. When it is near vertical, just tapping it will turn the light on.

You can “test” the power grid’s situation when the lights are on by tilting the Critter up and down to see where the new limits for on and off are.

Return the Critter to upright to turn it off and put it back in it’s active monitoring mode.

→Read “Turn the Lights Off,” the piece of creative writing that inspired the film and interactions.

the straight story…

the interactions explained:

The gummy ball Switch Critter is used to turn on the light. Its behavior is an expression of the load on the local power grid and its history of human interaction.

To turn on the lights with the Switch Critter, push in all of the spikes. To turn the lights off, release the spikes. The number of spikes sticking out is in direct relation to the load on the power grid. The more spikes, the greater the load. When no spikes are visible, just touching the gummy ball will turn on the lights.

Just touching the ball when all of the spikes are out will trigger a “playback” of all interactions since the last playback: the ball vibrates and the spikes move to replicate the grid conditions it has monitored. It stops vibrating and lights up for every time the lights were turned on. Once the playback is finished, the Switch Critter can again be used for monitoring and switching.

→Read “Wilily,” the piece of creative writing that inspired the film and interactions.

the straight story…

the interactions explained:

The rawhide clam-shaped Switch Critter is used to start the car. It also monitors the local air quality.

To start the car with the Switch Critter, hold it very still, pointing it in the direction of the car. After a period of time, it will open up, allowing an RFID signal to escape toward the receiver connected to the ignition. The longer it takes to open up (from 2 seconds to 10 seconds), the higher the air pollution.

Anywhere, holding the Switch Critter still will cause it to open up. The higher the air pollution, the longer it takes to open up.

→Read “Turn the Lights Off,” the piece of creative writing that inspired the film and interactions.

the straight story…

the interactions explained:

The Switch Critter is used to turn on the light. Its behavior is affected by the load on the power grid.

Brushing the tentacles turns on the lights and causes the tentacles to retract into their cavity.

The load on the power grid controls how long the tentacles stay retracted. If the load is light, they will stay retracted for a longer time. When the load on the power grid is heavier, the tentacles re-open quicker. When the Switch Critter’s tentacles are fully open again, the light goes off.

To turn the light off before the tentacles open up hold your hand over them to block out the light. They will start to open.

→Read “oject b,” the piece of creative writing that inspired the film and interactions.

the straight story…

the interactions explained:

The rawhide clam-shaped Switch Critter is used to turn on the light. It also monitors the load on the local power grid and the global carbon index.

To turn on the lights with the Switch Critter, hold it very still, pointing it in the direction of the light you want to turn on. As it opens up, an RFID signal escapes toward the receiver connected to the light. In these few seconds open, the Critter also records the sound in the room, catching voices, radio, ambience, etc...

When there is a significant change in the world, e.g. either a raise or drop in the carbon index or the load on the power grid, the Critter plays back a stream of its library of recorded sounds. The sounds are remixed according to the data feeds: the more positive the data, the farther back the clam reaches in its memory.

To turn the light off, move or shake the Critter.

→Read “little cold day – little day / big cold, a little day,” the piece of creative writing that inspired the film and interactions.