How Does the Inner Ear work?
First, participants can collect a series of vibration captures (15 minutes each) over about a week with the Inner Ear porcelain device. Second, they select one vibration capture to be materialized. Then, our team generates and 3D prints the data in porcelain. We glue the newly printed data rings to the central module and give it back to participants.
Why is it called the Inner Ear?
We named this project the Inner Ear for the poetic quality of the term as well as the human biology reference. The Inner Ear refers to an ability to listen, to gain (or lose) balance, to be attuned to a space and to the presence of other bodies (animate and inanimate) in that space. Listening, as it relates to audible subsets of sound to the human ear, may be expanded to encompass a broader set of sonic vibrations, which typically go unregistered by the human ear.
Why does the Inner Ear change states (from capture to representation of data)?
To offer an alternative to other data sensing devices in domestic environments, we purposefully created an artifact that explicitly showcased what state or mode it was in: sensing or representing. First, in the data capturing state it is a smart listening device that records environmental vibrations. Second, in the data representation state, it becomes a sculptural object, an archive of the data event recorded.
What are examples of vibrations?
It is possible to capture a range of vibrations with the Inner Ear. Over the course of the project, we saw vibrations such as the rain on the skylight, kids getting ready in the morning, late night conversations with friends, putting dishes away, the soundscape of making a floral arrangement, a pet cat’s constant movement. You can hear the participants say more about the vibrations they captured on their story pages.
How is the Inner Ear made?
The central module is a slip casted porcelain piece, augmented with simple electronics (Arduino, mic, led light, SD cardholder) to capture vibrations. The data rings are 3D printed porcelain that are fired and then glued to the central module. There is more information about the making process on this page.
Who are the people who lived with the Inner Ear?
We recruited people in the Seattle, Washington area who were interested in exploring their home environment through vibrations. We looked for people who already had some interest in vibrations as well as art-oriented projects. In total, we worked with seven people in six households. Some lived alone, others with their families or roommates. Some had lived in their homes for a long time, others just moved in during the project. They were in their 20s and up to their 70s.
How did it feel for people to experience the Inner Ear?
Every participant had different experiences with the Inner Ear. Some used it to discover or rediscover their space, while others engaged with deep reflections about their relation to data, agency, and consent. You can watch our short video documentaries reporting on the participants’ experiences here.
Where are the Inner Ears now?
The Inner Ears, in their final states, were a gift to the participants, who are still living with them today. As of now, we know that one Inner Ear was painted, one fell on the ground and broke beyond repair, one is waiting in a studio while a home gets renovated…
How was this project funded?
This project is funded by two National Science Foundation grants (NSF #1947696 and #2236822). The first grant, titled “Exploring IoT Data Transparency in the Home through Creative Data Representations”, proposes to use creative ways to represent home data to help people understand their own data better. The second grant, titled “Physicalizing Small Data: A First-Person Approach to Examining IoT Data”, focuses particularly on making data material.
Who was involved in designing and making the Inner Ear?
This project is a collaboration between design researcher Audrey Desjardins at Studio Tilt (a design research studio) and artist Timea Tihanyi at Slip Rabbit Studio (a technoceramics research studio). We both are also faculty members at the School of Art + Art History + Design at the University of Washington in Seattle, USA.
