The 'Digital Hand' is an art and design project from Nate Asis, a Toronto-based industrial designer interested in reimagining the physical structuring of design processes. The project is a software system that reads users body movements and positioning through the use of the Microsoft Kinect and translates that information into unique, corporeally derived product designs.
The Digital Hand is current compatible with three base products: a table called the 'Skeleton Table,' a dish (the 'Wave Dish'), and a blanket (the 'Dot Blanket'). For each of these products, the Digital Hand uses a projected interface to show users its interpretation of their body. Users can then move around to manipulate the design.
For example, to design the Skeleton Table, users move their heads, hands, and feet to make lines on the tabletop and their neck, shoulders, elbows, hips, and knees to formulate the legs.
Why This Trend Is Growing
- Digital Design Tools
- The 'Digital Hand' project demonstrates the potential for using body movements to create unique product designs.
- Interactive Interfaces
- The incorporation of the Microsoft Kinect enables users to interact with the design process through body positioning and movements.
- Corporeal Derived Products
- The Digital Hand software system translates users' body movements into physical product designs, resulting in innovative and unique furniture and objects.
Industries Being Reshaped
- Industrial Design
- The Digital Hand project presents disruptive innovation opportunities for industrial designers to reimagine and transform the physical structuring of design processes.
- Software Development
- The development of software systems that utilize body movements and interactive interfaces presents disruptive innovation opportunities for the software development industry.
- Furniture and Home Decor
- The Digital Hand project showcases disruptive innovation opportunities for the furniture and home decor industry to create products that are derived from users' body movements and positioning.
