Sony Remote Control, by Jason Roebuck, 2008, United Kingdom
taken from "http://www.yankodesign.com/2007/12/05/apple-remote-but-not-by-apple/"
taken from "http://www.yankodesign.com/2007/12/05/apple-remote-but-not-by-apple/"
taken from "http://www.yankodesign.com/2007/12/05/apple-remote-but-not-by-apple/"
taken from "http://www.yankodesign.com/2007/12/05/apple-remote-but-not-by-apple/"
What is it about?…
The concept is a bowl that has several apples; one for each family member. With the apple, the user can operate the television with gestures. The physical movement with the apple operates the television, for example, by swaying the apple to the right, the user can increase the volume for instance. Once the apples are placed on the bowl they are being recharged again, probably through induction.
My thoughts…
Good…
It is good in the way that the user can operate the television in a more fun and less boring manner compared to using a usual rectangular-shaped remote control. This idea is a useful replacement for the normal buttons that we have to press on the usual remote control; we normally face problems when using the normal remote control as we will always need to look at the remote control and sometimes tend to press the wrong button accidentally. Therefore, this concept serves as a solution to this problem, whereby we can simply sway the apple to operate the televsion although sometimes we will forget a particular gesture to operate a certain television function.
The outstanding visual and physical look of this particular remote control also prevents people from overlooking it and the situation in which “one person owns an Apple” allows more than one user around the house to control the television set. By allowing own programming of gestures to control functions of the television, it also give the user their own preferred choice of how they want the television’s functions to be controlled by what motion movements of the remote control in their hands.
Bad…
As what I mentioned above, the user might sometimes forget what motion gestures will lead to what television functions and the whole process of interacting with the television will be delayed. Unless a manual is always on hand to remind the user of what gestures operate what functions, they will rather use back the normal remote control which has a clear affordance(symbols and labels).
It will also be a problem if a guest in the house who have no prior experience in interacting with the “Apple” do not know how to operate the television as they will not know what functions can be activated with gesture movements. Since all the “Apples” around the house are all customised according to each member of the household, the guest will have no say on the television preferences he/she want and it would be ridiculous for him/her to get hold of one new “Apple” and program his/her own functions or even learn the gesture motions from one of the household members.
What I think can be improved…
A updated manual can be generated on somewhere according to the new programmed motions so as to prevent confusion from the user and there can be one added “neutral apple” which holds all the default gestures and the default manual so a guest in the house can operate the television at ease.
Another possiblity is to just keep to one “Apple” per television set, as there might be a possiblity where members of the household face will “clash” in operating the television. For example, member A might be watching his favourite tv program while member B want to watch another program, so he/she sways the “Apple” on his/her hand to switch to the channel he/she wants without the permission of member A.
Conclusion…
I think that this Apple Remote is a very good demonstration of how future interactive medias could be implemented in current electronical devices. There is also a possiblity where the new designed remote control will reduce the problems we faced sometimes in using the normal remote control. The convenience in controlling a television set are further increase through the using of modern interactions that would soon serve as a great help in our daily life.
