Ming Shan Digital Expe­ri­ence
Nominee | Furniture Design | 2021

Ming Shan Digital Expe­ri­ence

Ming Shan Digital Experience is a three-dimensional object that defies conventional categorization. It can be described as a kind of spatial installation created to support deep immersion in a Taoist meditation using digital means. At the same time, Ming Shan Digital Experience is also a research project that explores how scientific knowledge, digital technology, and an ancient meditation practice can be fruitfully combined. The object essentially consists of a round wooden plate on which the meditator sits cross-legged and a light ring supported by a metal rod and mounted at head height - a kind of 360° screen that emits coloured light. This ring provides a vertical opening, preserving the connection between earth and sky, essential in Taoist philosophy. The light responds in real time to the practitioner's biological signals, measured by sensors integrated into a custom-made belt. The signals can also be used to generate sound, to create a collective effect between several people in meditation. The installation is operational in the Ming Shan centre. The scientific data acquired defines the basis for a new generation of responsive furniture devices that promote well-being in contemporary spaces.

Comments of the nominators

As an object that has no model in terms of form or concept, Ming Shan Digital Experience is convincing above all for its simple form, which is entirely committed to function and integrates easily into the ambience of the Taoist temple, making its high-tech character forgettable.

Company:

EPFL+ECAL Lab

Team Members:

Direc­tion: Nicolas Henchoz
Art direc­tion and Inter­ac­tion design: Lara Défayes
Inter­ac­tion design and Research: Margaux Char­volin
Indus­trial design: Matthieu Girel, Béatrice Duran­dard
Hard­ware & Firmware Engi­neering, Sound Design: Cédric Duchêne
Soft­ware Engi­neering: Delphine Ribes, Yves Kalberer
UI/UX Psychology: Andreas Sonderegger

Partner:

Ming Shan Taoist Center

Insti­tu­tional Suppliers:

Univer­sity of Fribourg
CSEM (Signal Processing & Control Systems Group)
ASPG (EPFL)

epfl-ecal-lab.ch
www.mingshan.ch

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