Differences
This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.
Both sides previous revision Previous revision Next revision | Previous revision Next revisionBoth sides next revision | ||
research_report_theun_karelse [2008-02-21 12:34] – theunkarelse | research_report_theun_karelse [2008-02-21 17:05] – theunkarelse | ||
---|---|---|---|
Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
Line 21: | Line 24: | ||
+ | {{man.jpg|man.jpg}}\\ | ||
+ | Picture from: Le Portefeuille Industriel, a collection of technical drawings from Musée des Arts et Métiers. | ||
Line 32: | Line 36: | ||
==== Introduction. ==== | ==== Introduction. ==== | ||
- | == Surviving | + | == Engaging |
In 2006 Foam shifted its general direction to include Luminous Green strategies of: | In 2006 Foam shifted its general direction to include Luminous Green strategies of: | ||
* environmental sustainability | * environmental sustainability | ||
Line 43: | Line 47: | ||
The Tsunamipants project shows the traps that are hidden in responding to problems by coming up with solutions that are built within the limits of the problem. This invariably creates new versions of the same problem, it doesn' | The Tsunamipants project shows the traps that are hidden in responding to problems by coming up with solutions that are built within the limits of the problem. This invariably creates new versions of the same problem, it doesn' | ||
- | That is the tragedy in which the inventor Martin Brolin is caught in the Tsunamipants project. Martin engages the extreme weather conditions that are associated with future climate changes and tries to engineer his way out-off | + | That is the tragedy in which the inventor |
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
==== Context ==== | ==== Context ==== | ||
- | == Climate Change. == | + | == Inconvenience. == |
This research was undertaken in the middle of the Climate Change debate. A seminal event that shapes the discussions in this topic was Al Gore's documentary 'An Inconvenient Truth.' | This research was undertaken in the middle of the Climate Change debate. A seminal event that shapes the discussions in this topic was Al Gore's documentary 'An Inconvenient Truth.' | ||
What adds to the feelings of despair around these issues is the complicated nature of environmental and social problems and solutions. There are seemingly endless secondary effects and influences hidden beneath the surface of discussions. | What adds to the feelings of despair around these issues is the complicated nature of environmental and social problems and solutions. There are seemingly endless secondary effects and influences hidden beneath the surface of discussions. | ||
Line 55: | Line 69: | ||
If we want to look at sustainable ways of living we should look at the lowest classes in society. I suspect the higher classes have been living in unsustainable patterns for longer. | If we want to look at sustainable ways of living we should look at the lowest classes in society. I suspect the higher classes have been living in unsustainable patterns for longer. | ||
- | Recently some advocates of change based on positive arguments have become more visible such as the ' | + | == Positive change. == |
- | + | Recently some advocates of change based on positive arguments have become more visible such as the ' | |
- | * brief summary of the cultural/ | + | |
- | == Society and risk. == | + | == Tsunamipants applied in a society of risks. == |
Western society has put increasing efforts into the elimination of risk. Populations are kept safe by systems of regulations, | Western society has put increasing efforts into the elimination of risk. Populations are kept safe by systems of regulations, | ||
+ | == Precautionary principle. == | ||
The elimination of risk can slow down society when attention goes only to possible negative out-comes. This is the Precautionary Principle, it says, in essence, 'when in doubt, don' | The elimination of risk can slow down society when attention goes only to possible negative out-comes. This is the Precautionary Principle, it says, in essence, 'when in doubt, don' | ||
+ | == Social risk positions. == | ||
Ulrich Beck has discerned two main types of risks: | Ulrich Beck has discerned two main types of risks: | ||
* external risks: natural disasters. | * external risks: natural disasters. | ||
Line 72: | Line 87: | ||
Douglas and Wildavsky' | Douglas and Wildavsky' | ||
- | Hierarchists, | + | * Hierarchists, |
- | Egalitarians, | + | |
- | Individualists, | + | |
- | Fatalists, who feel it is all inevitable. | + | |
+ | == International organisations. == | ||
Switzerland has even formed an International Risk Governance Council (IRGC) | Switzerland has even formed an International Risk Governance Council (IRGC) | ||
'The IRGC is an independent organisation whose purpose is to help the understanding and management of emerging global risks that have impacts on human health and safety, the environment, | 'The IRGC is an independent organisation whose purpose is to help the understanding and management of emerging global risks that have impacts on human health and safety, the environment, | ||
Line 87: | Line 103: | ||
Martin Brolin exemplifies the design strategy where solutions only change the problem to a new form. That is what makes the inventions funny. Basically Tsunamipants are a design statement, it shows with traps not to fall into. | Martin Brolin exemplifies the design strategy where solutions only change the problem to a new form. That is what makes the inventions funny. Basically Tsunamipants are a design statement, it shows with traps not to fall into. | ||
- | * description of how the work relates to other works in the field of inquiry. | + | == Related projects. == |
- | [[Tsunami Pants]] is embedded in the European tradition of the drawn narrative. There is a long tradition of mad-scientist and eccentric inventors in fiction. There are other art and design projects, that tackle the same problem. | + | [[Tsunami Pants]] is embedded in the European tradition of the drawn narrative. There is a long tradition of mad-scientist and eccentric inventors in fiction. There are other art and design projects, that tackle the same problem, but none offer a historic collection and none make design-series embedded specifically into the debate about climate change.\\ |
Some are closely related, use humor like: | Some are closely related, use humor like: | ||
- | * The Yesmen, made the survivaball. | + | * The Yesmen made the survivaball, Ann de Gersem made the Life dress, Yael Mer made the Canoe dress. |
- | * Troy Hurtubise, made the Grizzly and Troyan suits. | + | * Troy Hurtubise made the Grizzly and Troyan suits. |
+ | * Inflatable swimming trunks and other inventions in the same spirit by real people are documented on [[http:// | ||
+ | * Digital Peacock Tales, designed by Magnus Torstensson of [[http:// | ||
+ | * Eelko Moorer made Emergency Games, a booklet of rather unimaginative but dangerous games to be played at home. | ||
Others are more loosely related, and serious like: | Others are more loosely related, and serious like: | ||
* Adam Whinton and Yolita Nugent' | * Adam Whinton and Yolita Nugent' | ||
- | * Intercative | + | * Interactive |
- | + | ||
Line 105: | Line 123: | ||
- | * concise summary of the problem domain/s that the research explores, or the specific aims of the research undertaken. | + | == The problem domain.== |
Since last year (2006) FoAM is adapting to a working method and living method that reduces our negative impact on living conditions for life on Earth. We are aware of the great need for this to happen, not just for members of our organization but for society as a whole. We would like to activate others to reduce their damage to the biosphere and society too. So at some point, and it has already arrived, our organization is going to communicate about issues concerning these environmental and social crises. | Since last year (2006) FoAM is adapting to a working method and living method that reduces our negative impact on living conditions for life on Earth. We are aware of the great need for this to happen, not just for members of our organization but for society as a whole. We would like to activate others to reduce their damage to the biosphere and society too. So at some point, and it has already arrived, our organization is going to communicate about issues concerning these environmental and social crises. | ||
Line 113: | Line 131: | ||
My aim is to show the ridiculous way in which we sometimes go about constructing solutions for climate-change problems. Martin Brolin is created to explore a way of engaging with this crisis in an uplifting way, by showing just such flawed design-strategies. | My aim is to show the ridiculous way in which we sometimes go about constructing solutions for climate-change problems. Martin Brolin is created to explore a way of engaging with this crisis in an uplifting way, by showing just such flawed design-strategies. | ||
- | Saint Francis of Assisi. | + | |
- | Giving environmental problems a direct physical presence for people is one of the great obstacles within the debate. Things happen too slow to see and feel, but extreme weather that is associated with climate change is very tangible. Although it is too big to bring to peoples physical reality, like Saint Francis of Assisi often did, extreme weather suits the ' | + | |
Line 122: | Line 139: | ||
* if the actual outcomes are different than the expected outcome, the reasons for this should be explained in the " | * if the actual outcomes are different than the expected outcome, the reasons for this should be explained in the " | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
Line 131: | Line 154: | ||
- | * concise description of the way the research will be (has been) developed from establishing the problem definition to the final results | + | == Designing Tsunamipants, |
The first step to design portable safety technology for natural disasters is to make a full list of these horrors. From this the first opportunities for design become apparent. This can be complemented by a list of controversial technologies, | The first step to design portable safety technology for natural disasters is to make a full list of these horrors. From this the first opportunities for design become apparent. This can be complemented by a list of controversial technologies, | ||
- | Making a collection of historic and current solutions in wearable safety systems, gives a greater scope of possibilities in this field. | + | Making a collection of historic and current solutions in wearable safety systems, gives a greater scope of possibilities in this field. I also looked at protective systems used by animals, for instance the fat-layer used by sealions for insulation and food reserve. And I based Martin' |
- | Designing | + | == Character development of Martin Brolin. |
The narrative structure of this research hinted at the value of having a central character. While driving to the supermarket, | The narrative structure of this research hinted at the value of having a central character. While driving to the supermarket, | ||
Line 142: | Line 165: | ||
- | * justification | + | |
+ | |||
+ | == Justification | ||
+ | One person in particular inspired me to design these strange contraptions; | ||
+ | |||
+ | Giving environmental problems a direct physical presence for people is one of the great obstacles within the debate. Things happen too slow to see and feel, but extreme weather that is associated with climate change is very tangible. Although it is too big to bring to peoples physical reality, like Saint Francis of Assisi often did, tsunamipants resemble the ' | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | == DIY culture. == | ||
+ | There are great results to be gained from direct action. This was shown by Srinivasan Soundara Rajan and Marko Peljhan at the Luminous Green symposium and by Suprabha Seshan at the Hands-on Change symposium. ((luminousgreen.org)) The Tsunamipants research project tapps into this tradition and hopefully with the same infectious enthusiasm. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | == Case study. == | ||
+ | I made one case study by following the events around a particularly violent storm on January 18, 2007 in the Netherlands.\\ | ||
+ | [[Storm]] | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
Line 148: | Line 189: | ||
==== Solution/ | ==== Solution/ | ||
- | == Working process == | + | == Working process |
+ | |||
+ | This research gave me a much richer picture of meteorology, | ||
+ | |||
+ | The list of weather catastrophes: | ||
+ | * hurricanes / tornadoes | ||
+ | * storms | ||
+ | * thunderstorms and lightning | ||
+ | * snowstorms | ||
+ | * sandstorms | ||
+ | * extreme hydroliths, like giant hailstones | ||
+ | * avalanches | ||
+ | * landslides | ||
+ | * mud-streams | ||
+ | * lavastreams | ||
+ | * earth-quakes and tremors | ||
+ | * flooding | ||
+ | * tsunamis | ||
+ | * drought | ||
+ | * smoke and ash | ||
+ | * mist | ||
+ | * forestfire | ||
+ | * turbulence | ||
+ | |||
+ | How they hurt: | ||
+ | * overheating / sunstroke | ||
+ | * hypothermia / frostbite | ||
+ | * UV-damage | ||
+ | * dehydration | ||
+ | * drowning | ||
+ | * falling through ice | ||
+ | * hunger | ||
+ | * inflammation | ||
+ | * missing limbs | ||
+ | * being crushed | ||
+ | * burning | ||
+ | * loss of consciousness | ||
+ | * excessive bleeding | ||
+ | * and the various diseases that move trough refugee camps | ||
+ | |||
+ | Urban dangers: | ||
+ | * gas-leaks | ||
+ | * fire | ||
+ | * power-failure | ||
+ | * falling power-cables | ||
+ | * collapsing structures and large things falling over | ||
+ | * panicking masses and traffic | ||
+ | |||
+ | Positive side-effects: | ||
+ | |||
+ | * these horrors may result in Leapfrogging effects for the regions or nations affected. | ||
+ | * many superheroes got their power in accidents so this might create opportunities for those supernaturally inclined. | ||
What became apparent during the Tsunamipants project is the constant need for new angles. The first design was for a piece of clothing that can help to survive a disaster; the Tsunamipants. You can go on creating more designs for clothing, but the novelty wears off soon. So I moved to SUV-s with the Inflatable-hummer, | What became apparent during the Tsunamipants project is the constant need for new angles. The first design was for a piece of clothing that can help to survive a disaster; the Tsunamipants. You can go on creating more designs for clothing, but the novelty wears off soon. So I moved to SUV-s with the Inflatable-hummer, | ||
Line 156: | Line 249: | ||
- | == Protective Suits: == | + | |
+ | |||
+ | == Protective Suits. == | ||
Line 165: | Line 260: | ||
* [[ExoSkeletons]] > for getting out-off rubble-heaps etc. | * [[ExoSkeletons]] > for getting out-off rubble-heaps etc. | ||
- | == Accessories: == | + | == Accessories. == |
* [[Footware]] > these boots are made for.. all kinds of things. | * [[Footware]] > these boots are made for.. all kinds of things. | ||
Line 171: | Line 266: | ||
* [[Head Protection]] > how to keep your head from falling off or rotting away. | * [[Head Protection]] > how to keep your head from falling off or rotting away. | ||
- | == Tools: == | + | == Tools. == |
* [[Emergency Storage]] > pretty amazing tools for any emergency. | * [[Emergency Storage]] > pretty amazing tools for any emergency. | ||
Line 179: | Line 274: | ||
* [[Medical Aids]] > hackable medical devices. | * [[Medical Aids]] > hackable medical devices. | ||
- | == Special transport: == | + | == Special transport. == |
* [[Adapted Transport]] > vehicles to get you out of trouble. | * [[Adapted Transport]] > vehicles to get you out of trouble. | ||
* [[Remotely Operated Vehicles]] > going to the places you don't want to go. | * [[Remotely Operated Vehicles]] > going to the places you don't want to go. | ||
- | In safety design inflatable techniques are used abundantly. As a result of this my research started to connect to research done by Cocky Eek who has investigated inflatable technology and design. | + | In safety design inflatable techniques are used abundantly. As a result of this my research started to connect to research done by Cocky Eek who has investigated inflatable technology and design. |
My basic conclusion for the hierarchy of risks for humans is based on the volumes of products on the market, not by absolute figures or by value but just by seeing what is most abundant in use or on offer physically and digitally. And the hierarchy is as follows: | My basic conclusion for the hierarchy of risks for humans is based on the volumes of products on the market, not by absolute figures or by value but just by seeing what is most abundant in use or on offer physically and digitally. And the hierarchy is as follows: | ||
Line 192: | Line 287: | ||
* Drowning: and other water related risks are very big business for offshore and recreational purposes. | * Drowning: and other water related risks are very big business for offshore and recreational purposes. | ||
- | During the research I got more into cultural history and current philosophy. | ||
- | //concise description of the actual outcomes of the research// | ||
Line 203: | Line 296: | ||
- | ==== Discussion ==== | ||
+ | ==== Discussion ==== | ||
- | * comparison of the expected and the actual results | ||
- | * suggestions and comments on the research process and its results | ||
+ | == Comparison of the expected and the actual results. == | ||
+ | My research broadened from designing clothes for meteorological catastrophes to a wild and hilarious journey through portable safety technology. I did not go into material research for this because that seemed like a world too vast to cover. And it would not have been effective for reaching my goal, which relies more on imagination than on expertise. But it would have fitted nicely with research done by Lina Kusaite, who is looking into developing a material library. | ||
+ | The domain of portable safety technology turned out to be much more varied than I anticipated. The history of portable personal safety technology is rich. An overview of this field formed and it shows the diversity of technologies and suggests risk hierarchies. For a successful Tsunamipants design some ingredients are crucial. I look at the combinations of already existing products and fusing them into an unlikely hybrid. As noted above, the need to shift focus became apparent during the design stages. This resulted in designs for many different situations, more connected to climate change issues in a broad sense and not just weather induced disasters. | ||
+ | == Suggestions and comments on the research process and its results. == | ||
- | * suggestions for the future work based on the conclusions of the research | ||
- | * comments | + | == Suggestions for the future work based on the conclusions |
+ | * The [[survival engineering]] collection could be extended with strategies used by animals and plants. | ||
+ | * Martin Brolin could be used to study the possibilities of merchandising. | ||
+ | * Move into 3-d prototyping. | ||
+ | * Extend into material research. | ||
+ | * Tunamipants could pop-up in FoAM or FoAM partner events. | ||
+ | * Move from the history of safety into the direction of the history of sustainability. I've started tracing my own cultural roots; into the Zeeuwse farms and their (forgotten) technologies. | ||
+ | * More Tsunamifood, | ||
+ | ==Public response. == | ||
The design of Martin with a bad haircut, slightly overweight and big was intended to place him as a very ordinary guy. But some members of the public have commented that they found it difficult to feel sympathy for him. During the process Martin sometimes devolved somewhat into a bum. He sometimes became more of a caricature, this was largely due to the style of drawing that was applied and the scale of working. | The design of Martin with a bad haircut, slightly overweight and big was intended to place him as a very ordinary guy. But some members of the public have commented that they found it difficult to feel sympathy for him. During the process Martin sometimes devolved somewhat into a bum. He sometimes became more of a caricature, this was largely due to the style of drawing that was applied and the scale of working. | ||
The public responded well to presentations. Finding unlikely combinations, | The public responded well to presentations. Finding unlikely combinations, | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
==== References ==== | ==== References ==== | ||
Line 227: | Line 333: | ||
- | * media used in the research | + | == Media used in the research. == |
On the Net: | On the Net: | ||
+ | * many dozens of cites had wonderful designs and pictures, they are documented in the [[survival engineering]] collection. | ||
+ | * http:// | ||
+ | * http:// | ||
+ | * http:// | ||
+ | * http:// | ||
+ | * http:// | ||
Wikipedia: | Wikipedia: | ||
* http:// | * http:// | ||
* http:// | * http:// | ||
- | |||
- | * http:// | ||
- | * http:// | ||
- | * http:// | ||
- | * http:// | ||
Books and magazines: | Books and magazines: | ||
Line 244: | Line 351: | ||
* How should we then live?, Francis A. Schaeffer | * How should we then live?, Francis A. Schaeffer | ||
* Nexus #44 #46 #47 http:// | * Nexus #44 #46 #47 http:// | ||
+ | * Le Portefeuille Industriel, a collection of technical drawings from Musée des Arts et Métiers. | ||
- | | + | Lectures: |
- | + | | |
- | + | * Paradiso, on Climate Change by Pier Vellinga, one of the founders of the IPCC. http:// | |
- | * visual/sonic/tactile material | + | * BBC 2, Civilization, |
+ | * VPRO, Tegenlicht, episode: Cradle-to-Cradle and episode: de Toekomst van ons Voedsel. http://www.vpro.nl/ | ||
+ | == Material | ||