Dreamscape is a customizable modular sleep surface. Inspired by the way the subconscious assimilates outside stimuli during sleep, Dreamscape seeks to manipulate dreams. Various sensors monitor a user’s sleep-state. Once REM sleep has been achieved, Dreamscape comes alive. Perhaps you want to feel as though you’re laying in a field, sleeping under the stars, you’ll hear crickets chirping and feel a light breeze. Or maybe you want to feel as though you’re riding Falkor, a gentle rising and falling simulates the breath of the giant dragon.
Proposal 2: Materiality seeks to build capabilities into a material, and allow the user to determine the function by manipulating its form in a variety of different ways. See this short animation.
Interaction with dreams is a very powerful idea. There are strong ideas for I/O with REM state as input and sensory stimuli to influence dreams as output. The interesting aspect is that, although we are interacting with the device, it is only subconsciouse. Does the deivece then need to take some additional role as decision-maker or driver of the interaction? Talk to Dan Novy (guest speaker next class) about hallucinations. Talk to me about smart pillows.
-Dan