GOOGLE released a video of new in-home tech that could change the way and frequency that people engage with their devices.
The micro-project is one of many in the tech giant’s Experiments with Google catalog.
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Experiments with Google is a division within the company where employees or independents can flesh out grand ideas in a way that is cost-efficient and non-committal.
The latest experiment, Little Signals, is a foray into what Google has dubbed “ambient computing” – interacting with Google products in a way that is subtle, seamless and not distracting to the user or people around the user.
“Little Signals is a family of unassuming but charming objects that share notifications and information by engaging with our senses in more nuanced ways,” Google’s concept video said.
The artful home objects resemble vases, clocks or other knick-knacks that are designed to blend in with the home.
The theoretical concept comes with six different objects each with its own notification method.
A small rush of air, a gentle tap or a shift in shadows are all possibilities for the Little Signals line – all work to draw just a strand of the user’s attention without ripping their focus to shreds.
“The six objects in this design study make use of different sensorial cues to subtly signal for attention. They keep us in the loop, but softly, moving from the background to the foreground as needed,” the project description read.
9to5Google reported that the Little Signals project is not “on track” to mass manufacturing – but ambient computing is at the forefront of Google’s long-term ideology.
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Though Little Signals won’t be available in stores, crafty fans can construct their own devices using instructions provided by Google.
On Experiments with Google’s webpage, users can download a 23-page zip file featuring a step-by-step guide for building an air signal machine – the instruction manual even has pictures for building the physical hardware.
At the end of the guide, there are several lines of open source code for programming the nifty little bot.
“Just as everyday objects might find simple ways to inform us – like the moving hands of a clock or the whistle of a kettle – Little Signals consider how to stay up-to-date with digital information while maintaining moments of calm,” the concept page concluded.
Google is making a more general push to become more integrated into the home and office.
Google’s responsive audio speaker, the Google Home, is expected to sell 75million units this year.
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