Future Now
The IFTF Blog
Augmented Empathy
Today, at IFTF's Technology Horizons workshop on the Future of Open Fabrication, Dominic Muren spoke on the future of manufacturing.
His presentation was great and led me to explore his site, where you can see a wealth of ideas--some of which relate to fabrication, but also others like this amazing use of biometrics, technology, and design to augment empathy. From his site:
<cite>"How can design bring empathy back in an increasingly disconnected world?</cite><cite> Modern war has lost traditional connection between soldiers on the battlefield and civilians at home. Shifting enlistment to the poorest members of the nation, increased media coverage of data, rather than individuals, and government censorship has lead to apathy. The Beat Empathy Device records the heartbeat of an anonymous soldier, and physically taps it into the chest of a civilian. They share excitement, fear, calm, and death. The news becomes news about your soldier, not just some soldier. Now, imagine if this was your drivers license or Government ID."</cite>
As my colleague, Miriam Lueck Avery pointed out to me, this kind of Augmented Empathy approach will be especially important given these findings from a recent American Red Cross study:
[img_assist|nid=3829|title=|desc=|link=url|url=http://www.redcross.org/portal/site/en/menuitem.94aae335470e233f6cf911df43181aa0/?vgnextoid=801dbe9f0e64f210VgnVCM10000089f0870aRCRD|align=left|width=425|height=209]