- Nov 11, 2008
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Smart toaster will relocate to another home if neglected
A household full of smart, connected appliances could have benefits beyond waking up in a toasty warm house to the smell of freshly brewed coffee. As part of his Addicted Products project, Italian product designer Simone Rebaudengo has created a connected toaster that becomes unhappy when it goes unused, drawing attention to areas where e-waste can be reduced.
Rebaudengo, in collaboration with the London-based firm Haque Design Research, programmed the Addicted Toaster to set certain values for satisfaction relating to its use. Each time these demands are met, the value required to satisfy the toaster increases again, in effect replicating human addiction. But if the toaster begins to feel neglected, it might just cry out for help.
The Addicted Toaster has a built-in Ethernet port through which it connects to a network of its peers (other smart toasters) via the internet. Through this network, hopeful users can apply to host a toaster, which will be theirs for as long as they keep it happy. The toaster can sense when other toasters in the network are being used by their hosts, which can result feelings of jealousy and contribute to overall discontent.
The toaster demonstrates its unhappiness by moving its lever up and down while making unpleasant noises. If it is really dissatisfied, it will denounce its hosts as unworthy via the toaster network, in which case a courier service will come to whisk it away to a more nurturing household.
A household full of smart, connected appliances could have benefits beyond waking up in a toasty warm house to the smell of freshly brewed coffee. As part of his Addicted Products project, Italian product designer Simone Rebaudengo has created a connected toaster that becomes unhappy when it goes unused, drawing attention to areas where e-waste can be reduced.
Rebaudengo, in collaboration with the London-based firm Haque Design Research, programmed the Addicted Toaster to set certain values for satisfaction relating to its use. Each time these demands are met, the value required to satisfy the toaster increases again, in effect replicating human addiction. But if the toaster begins to feel neglected, it might just cry out for help.
The Addicted Toaster has a built-in Ethernet port through which it connects to a network of its peers (other smart toasters) via the internet. Through this network, hopeful users can apply to host a toaster, which will be theirs for as long as they keep it happy. The toaster can sense when other toasters in the network are being used by their hosts, which can result feelings of jealousy and contribute to overall discontent.
The toaster demonstrates its unhappiness by moving its lever up and down while making unpleasant noises. If it is really dissatisfied, it will denounce its hosts as unworthy via the toaster network, in which case a courier service will come to whisk it away to a more nurturing household.
