Technimal

Summary

A Critical Design piece, this Technimal is a life-size sculpture of the endangered Komodo Dragon fitted with a liquid cooling, liquid heating thermo-regulatory wearable device built with an emphasis on the unorthodox collaboration between disciplines.

My responsibilities

For this experience I built the whole process end to end. From user research with stakeholders to the production and presentation.

I interviewed stakeholders from multiple industries, and designed a technology from the ground up to continue an important conversation around endangered species and climate change.

Skills

3D Modeling, Zoology, Critical Design, Environmental Awareness, Digital Fabrication, Fluid Dynamics, Moonshot Thinking and Origami.

Tools

Adobe Illustrator, Blender 3D, Electronics, Laser Cutter, Medical Devices, Pepakura, Rhinoceros and Thermoelectric Devices.

Project Details

Problem

Technimals are animals with radically augmented physiological features fit to withstand the challenges of the Anthropocene, the epoch of human impact. Their technological modifications counter the negative effects of human consumption and climate change. This Komodo Dragon is my first case study. I created a liquid cooling, liquid heating wearable device that allows the reptile to thermoregulate independently of environmental factors. As we continue developing technologies, the percent of technologies developed for non-humans will also grow. It is important to acquaint and prepare ourselves for the radical possibilities that may be ahead of us.

Solution

By observing the long term effects of our actions, I projected that global warming may with time lower the population of the endangered Komodo Dragon to extinction. The first challenge was viewing the problem and solution through the lens of a civilization that is ahead of our time. The second was researching the different disciplines. For this piece I needed to orient myself with: Zoology, Engineering, Medicine, Architecture, Wearables, and Climate Change. The third challenge was prototyping and building the work using non-traditional devices used outside of their original intended purpose. Being able to communicate to the medical distributors that I need IV bags for a Komodo Dragon, or asking the clerk at the computer store to show me his PC liquid cooling pumps for an array of wearable tubes required me to be empathetic, and descriptive. Ultimately, this piece serves as the first of many works that I hope will inspire us all to be open in how we collaborate to solve difficult problems.

Collaborators

Supervisors: Britta Riley.
Collaborators: Feedback from the ITP Community.