The misbehaving attention-seeking TV

Moore goodies from NEXT. I saw this one just after having read an article about people who don´t bother buying a television licence because, they claim, “the only creature in the house who watches the thing is the dog.”

OiTV is a TV set that occasionally misbehaves. In fact, the TV is only switching several “attention seeking” when there hasn’t been any user interaction for a longer period of time. Among these modes is the random changing of channels, the rotating, sliding and bouncing of the image and the fast forwarding and rewinding of the live broadcasted content.

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OiTV explores user behaviours outside manuals. It does not fulfil the common aspiration for the perfectly working product / technology. Its erroneous behaviour rather tempts you to build up a more individual and possibly even affectionate relationship with a domestic object charged with character and attitude.

The user can adopt various strategies. He can stroke the TV to “calm it down” or hit it to “condition it”. The user can also rotate an image back to its original position by twisting the antenna or slide an offset image back by tilting the TV.

The user gains his very own way of treating the TV by which the TV is transformed from a mass produced object into a personalized item. This personalized relationship is strengthened by the TV gradually adapting to the users most likely (re)actions.

Video.

By interaction designer Mark Hauenstein.

More images.