Cryoscope A Haptic Weather Forecasting Device

By Ploi Malakul | February 16th, 2012 | Discuss

Robb Godshaw is a tinkerer at Syynlabs and a maker of funky whats-its. Godshaw says about his weather forecasting devide: “Recently I was thinking about ways information about weather is conveyed. I found myself disappointed in systems that rely on numbers which have little to do with how humans perceive hot and cold. I sought to develop a device that conveyed the forecast in a manner which left nothing to the imagination.”

And that’s exactly what the Cryoscope does, it shows the user what to expect outside by haptically exhibiting exactly how cold or warm it is to be outside. The user simply touches an aluminum cube that has been heated or cooled to the appropriate temperature. The unit fetches weather data from the internet, and translates it to the cube physically, pumping heat in or out of the cube.

“The neutral state of the cube is about 85°F (30°C), which is perceived as neutral by the skin. The cube is then adjusted by the number of degrees that forecast differs from typical room temperature(73°F/23°C),” explains Godshaw. ❚

About Ploi Malakul

Ploi Malakul has written 375 articles on this blog.

Ploi Malakul is a passionate representative of minimalistic graphic and design. Her origins from the Thai metropolis of Bangkok are reflected in her internationally awarded designs

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