Extending Scenario Design

Inspired by the topics ‘big data’ and ‘human technology interactions’, as a group we envisioned a future scenario for the year 2050.

We took our initial inspiration from a speculative fictional television series, Black Mirror (2011) (IMDB 2015), with dark, satirical themes revolving around an apocalyptic modern society that reveals the dark side of technology and human co-existence.

With this theme in mind we fashioned our own microchip designed to alter human emotions. The Emotional Balancing Unit (E.B.U), were implanted in the frontal lobe of the brain and designed filter its emotional output. The E.B.U eliminates the flow of negative emotions that inhibit your ability to think positively and work efficiently, therefore increasing overall human productivity. By January 2017, the government had imposed compulsory E.B.U implantations in all newborns and by 2048, 80% of the world population had the implant.

Fast forward to the year 2050, hackers had discovered a way to infiltrate the E.B.U’s and reverse its effects, causing worldwide anarchy, as those who had the implant were now highly unstable, unpredictable and dangerous.

Psychologist Daniel Kahneman, notes that the way that humans process and remember information, make decisions and solve problems, ‘cognitive biases’, are not always helpful in achieving the best result, yet are the most practical for time and energy expenditure and considered ‘good enough’ to survive. Human emotions have evolved to be our most valuable survival tools. “Hot” emotions, e.g. surprise and disgust, are experienced instantaneously and powerfully. These emotions signal an imminent threat to our initiating urgent action in response increasing our chance of survival. (Dr. J Taylor 2012).

As those who had the implant no longer had the ability to regulate between their emotions and were constantly experiencing emotions within the ‘hot’ spectrum survival is considered paramount.

As a group we decided that rather than focusing on producing a prototype of the E.B.U itself, we would explore the effects it had on the world after the hacking had occurred.

We came up with the idea of creating a character profile, describing how a person that had received the E.B.U implantation, in this case Pedro Gonzales, would live their day-to-day life, aiding his survival.

Design Academy Eindoven graduate Marie-Elsa Batteux Flahault created an ‘apocalypse survival coat’ incorporating floatation devices, signalling flags and weapons. Batteux Flahault designed this suit in response to a discussion she had with a group of ‘preppers’ preparing themselves for the end of the world, “I was exploring the end-of-the-world fever that expended with the 2012 Mayan prediction… I was interested in their approach that is more pragmatic than the religious fanaticism.” (D Howarth 2014).

Marie-Elsa Batteux Flahault’s  ‘Apocalypse Survival Coat’

(D Howarth 2014).

< http://www.dezeen.com/2014/01/08/jacket-to-help-prepare-for-the-end-of-the-world-by-marie-elsa-batteux-flahault/>

She utilised ‘life-saving features’ into a pale camouflage jacket that could assist the wearer in times of catastrophe. A visor and mask protect the eyes and respiratory system, sections of the jacket inflate to create flotation devices, a blade in the sleeve that can be used as a weapon and pockets in the lining that store food and water. Batteux Flahault notes that more survival tools can be added to jacket and that it designed to be a functional garment (D Howarth 2014).

For our speculative object we also decided to create a ‘survival suit’ designed for Pedro, to assist him in his own survival. We began with a jacket and a pair of jeans, we then sewed multiple pairs of pockets, belt loops, ‘D rings’ and back straps to the garments. Like Batteux Flahult’s survival coat, the idea was that our suit would be purely functional and self-sustaining, everything had a purpose and a function; to hold/carry everyday survival items that Pedro had found/stolen along the way e.g. rope, lighters, sewing equipment, a sleeping bag etc.

Our garment was designed to be ever evolving and provide a supportive and innovative piece of hand made technology, that would function in the future we predicted.

 

 

References:

 

IMDB, 2015, Black Mirror (2011-), viewed October 29 2015,

< http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2085059/>

 

Taylor, Dr. Jim 2012, Psychology: Is Our Survival Instinct Failing Us?, viewed October 29 2015,

< http://www.drjimtaylor.com/3.0/psychology-is-our-survival-instinct-failing-us/>

 

Howarth, Dan. De Zeen Magazine, 2014, Jacket to help prepare for the end of the world’, viewed October 29 2015,

< http://www.dezeen.com/2014/01/08/jacket-to-help-prepare-for-the-end-of-the-world-by-marie-elsa-batteux-flahault/>

 

Nicole Jedelsky

 

 

 

Technology In Medicine – Primary Research

In an age when we are so heavily reliant on the use and development of technology it is no surprise that the world of medicine endeavours to keep the state of the human body up with the rapid speed of evolving technologies.

I observed a video of designer and architect, Neri Oxman, pioneering the search for ways in which digital fabrication technologies can interact with the biological world. From computational design, additive manufacturing, materials engineering and synthetic biology, Oxman is paving the way for symbiosis between microorganisms and the human body our bodies.

 

(TED 2015)<https://www.ted.com/talks/neri_oxman_design_at_the_intersection_of_technology_and_biology?language=en>

 

This got me thinking further into the possibilities of biomedical design and innovation and what the future will hold between the medical and technological world.

I interviewed a young team member at ‘Vestech – Medical Device Innovation’, Barbara Jedelsky, to understand the world of medical device innovation and commercialisation.

What is your background within the field of technology and medicine?

BJ: I have a degree in Biomedical Engineering and Medical Science, and have previously been involved in primary scientific research in the fields of bone and tendon biology. Currently, I am working within the medical device field, involved in the design and manufacture of novel medical devices, with a particular focus on orthopaedic devices.

How had technology changed the medical world?

BJ: There is no doubt that technology has had a major impact on the field of medicine, both in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Technological advancement has allowed for more efficient diagnosis of disease, through more sensitive equipment and diagnostic procedures. Furthermore, technological advancement has allowed for the development of new and novel treatments for a number of diseases, which were previously untreatable, thus resulting in the increased life expectancy of the general population. In addition, technology has allowed medicine to become more accessible to the developing world, significantly improving the quality of life within these developing regions.

 Are there any risks and/or limits with the use of technology and medical devices?

BJ: There are always inherent risks associated with any piece of technology, in particular those pertaining to the development and use of medical devices. It is for this reason that all medical devices go through a rigorous period of pre-clinical testing, followed by highly scrutinised clinical trials. Once on the market, medical devices are constantly assessed to ensure that they are fulfilling their specific requirements. Despite these rigorous assessments, the nature of biology is that we are always adding to our previous knowledge and learning things that were previously unknown. This may cause a device that was previously deemed at ‘safe’ to no longer be accepted. Therefore, it is important that all users medical devices, both medical professionals as well as primary consumers, remain vigilant and critical of the technology they are using.

Do you believe that society’s growing reliance on technology is a positive or a negative?

BJ: There are both positive and negative aspects to society’s growing reliance on technology. On the positive side, technological advancement has resulted in the vast improvement on the quality of life of the population by making day-to-day tasks both quicker and easier, allowing individuals to spend more time relaxing and partaking in leisurely activities. Furthermore, technology has greatly improved the quality of life of older generations, and this is mirrored in the growing aging population in western societies.

The growing reliance on technology has, however, also has a detrimental impact on the population. The reliance on technology resulted in a reduction in the activity of individuals by making day-to-day tasks simpler and easier to perform and research has shown that the proportion of individuals on western societies classified as overweight and obese in increasing at an alarming rate. 

What do you think the future will bring within the field of medicine, with regard to technological advancement?

BJ: I think in the future, great emphasis will be placed on mimicking biology as closely as possible. This is already seen in orthopaedic devices, where there are constant endeavours to more closely replicate the structural properties of bone in order to increase the longevity of implants. It is well known that nature has optimised the properties of biological systems, and thus replicating these properties as closely as possible in medicine will lead to much more sustainable medical devices. Furthermore, the shift from synthetic, artificial materials to more organic, natural materials will significantly reduce the impact on the environment. There is also great possibility that the shift to mimicking nature may also result in the enhancement of human capability, by replicating those from other biological systems (increasing visual capabilities beyond the visual spectrum). In the future it’s likely that technology will allow medical devices to be fully customisable to each individual (eg already being used today in the 3D printing of a rib-cage for a cancer patient). At the moment we’re just scratching the surface of what is possible. There is huge potential for the advancement in medicine through technological advancement, and this will without a doubt have an incredible impact on the quality of life and human longevity worldwide.

 

References:

TED 2015, Neri Oxman: Design at the intersection of technology and biology, viewed October 10 2015,

<https://www.ted.com/talks/neri_oxman_design_at_the_intersection_of_technology_and_biology?language=en>

 

Nicole Jedelsky