Thursday, 12 April 2012

DD2000 - Design Discourse: Lucy McRae - How can technology transform the human body?


The first talk I am going to review is by Lucy McRae and can be found at http://www.ted.com/talks/lucy_mcrae_how_can_technology_transform_the_human_body.html
Even though it is a short presentation compared to some of the others available on the site, I found it very interesting and thought provoking. Lucy started the talk by explaining that she once worked at Phillips electronics in the far future design research lab looking at how technology can transform the human body and skin. She looked at electronic tattoos which are altered by touch, which I found extremely fascinating.
Next Lucy went on to explain after collaborating with a friend she started becoming obsessed with the idea of ‘maybe technologies’ where a switch or an idea wasn’t switched on or off which could take on the form of a gas or liquid, merging this idea with the human body. She experimented with blurring the perimeter of the body so that you couldn’t tell where the skin ended and the near environment began. In particular she was enamoured with the concept of merging biology with technology. She started looking at ideas of replicating how our veins and tendons link together and representing that using tubes on the outside of the body and also the idea reprogramming our own body odour, biologically enhancing it to help us communicate with others or attract partners. She raised the concept of whether this would make us act more primitive, like animals? She created a consumable perfume which you swallow and it releases a scent when sweat. This instigates a new method of how perfume can be consumed and used. The human body in this case would be the atomiser instead of the spritz bottle perfumes are provided in at the moment.
She is insistent that she has many ideas for the future yet her next project is unknown and that there are no boundaries, which I think is an enlightening way to view creativity of every kind. I found this talk extremely interesting and inspiring.

(330 words)

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