STUDIO BAS SALA

Interactive, Smart furniture that generates and analyzes sensor data from the user. The Big Data furniture scans the environment and communicates with users by changing colors based on detected movement and spatial influences. The furniture communicates commands and instructions via Twitter.

In addition to this collective interactivity, the furniture engages with users on a more individual level by 'connecting' with them. The generated patterns of movement, behavior, and environmental data are stored and visualized in an online database. Studio Bas Sala will use the data to improve and guide the user experience. But it also communicates via X and connects with other smart products in the same room/house to influence them toward more personalized behavior.

Traditional products in our private homes are on the verge of a fundamental change. Almost all products are becoming smart. They are gaining an interactive layer and can adapt and improve throughout their lifespan by switching to the user's habits and preferences. In the near future, it is possible that objects without power will be able to connect to the outside world via networks such as LoRa. A single small battery will be sufficient to stay online for years. All these products generate data. This data is used for a wide range of purposes. Improving the user experience and receiving regular security updates are two of the most obvious. But what happens when more and more products in your private life become smart? What will happen when almost all products and objects are smart? From the painting on the wall to the chair you are sitting on.

Designers need to become more involved in the debate surrounding big data versus privacy: what data needs to be collected? Who owns this data? Is it the property of a company, the government, or of us all? What rights do you have as a user, and what rights does a designer have to record and store data? The furniture by Studio Bas Sala is intended to stimulate a healthy discussion about these questions and more.

The interactive installation was part of the following exhibitions:

• Dutch Design Week Eindhoven, The Netherlands (2016);

• Artificial Intelligence Exhibition: DASA Dortmund, Germany (2021-2022);

• Artificial Intelligence Exhibition: Parque de las Ciencias, Granada, Spain (2022-2023);

• Artificial Intelligence Exhibition: Technisches Museum, Vienna, Austria (2023-2024).

Contact us for inclusion in your exhibition or event.