SHAKER (by Strong et al, 1996)

The system consists of two pairs of devices. Each contains a solenoid, containing a metal rod surrounded by a wire coil. When the sender is shaken, the movement of the rod induces a current in the coil. When this is sent to the receiver, the current causes its solenoid to shake the receiver proportionally. Shakers could be of a form and size that makes them easy to carry or wear it as jewellery, using pager or cellphone technology
to link them.

Souce: Strong, R. and Gaver, W. 1996. Feather, Scent & Shaker: Supporting simple intimacy in videos. In Extended Proceedings of CSCW. ACM Press, 29–30.

Scent (by Strong et al, 1996)

Scent is a variation on Feather. (Feather is designed for situations in which one person is travelling while another stays at home.) The traveler transmits a signal through holding the frame. This starts a heating element at the bottom of an aluminum bowl at home, vaporizing essential oil deposited within. The result is that a scent fills the home space.

Source: Strong, R. and Gaver, W. 1996. Feather, Scent & Shaker: Supporting Simple Intimacy in Videos. In Extended Proceedings of the ACM Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW’96). ACM Press, 29–30.

Feather (by Strong et al, 1996)

Feather is designed for situations in which one person is travelling while another stays at home.

Two devices are used. The traveller carries a small object that signals that his or her attention is focused on the other. This is envisioned as a kind of picture frame, but one contrived so that it invites activities that can be used to send a signal to the other object. In one version, this involves turning over the object, which otherwise sits picture-side down. In another, the object encourages lifting to view the image. This gives a precious, almost reverential feel to the interaction, and holding the object closes a circuit between the two halves of the unit, sending a signal to the other object.

The second object is larger, meant, like a piece of furniture, to be a relatively stable feature of the home. It contains a electric fan in its base, and a single feather that rests on an unobtrusive grill above it. When triggered by the absent partner holding the picture frame, the fan starts, wafting the feather into the air.

Source: Strong, R. and Gaver, W. 1996. Feather, scent & shaker: Supporting simple intimacy in videos. In Extended Proceedings of CSCW. ACM Press, 29–30.