Alone together: the past 20 years of remote connections

The pandemic seems to have triggered some investigation of how we connect remotely with others. Welcome to the last 20 years of HCI everyone! Seriously though, people have been researching how we connect with others and our surroundings in situations that are mediated by technology for a long time. So careful before you claim it’s all new, or pitch this to a VC. Here are a few key examples to learn from in case you’re starting from scratch:

• Connecting to your loved ones
  • Good Night Lamp (2005-2019) (made that)
  • Nabaztag (2005-2011)
  • Pillow Talk
  • Ping Connected Lamp
  • VaiKai (2014-2018)
  • Toymail (2013-2018)
  • Wheredial

• Connecting to information in an ambient way
  • Ambient Orb (2004-)
  • Not So White Walls (2004)
  • Availabot (2007)
  • Little Printer (2012-2014)
  • Bubblino (2008-?)
  • Raincloud (2016-?)
  • Electric Objects (2013-2017)
  • ThingM

• Exhibitions
  • MoMa Talk To Me (had two projects in that)
  • The Good Home (curated that with Dries & Peter)

• Books
  • Enchanted Objects
  • Designed Technology for Healthy Ageing
  • Smarter Homes (wrote that)
  • The New Everyday
  • Designing for Interactions

• Papers
  • Slow Technology

I’m sure more will come to me, it’s been my bread and butter since 2010 to talk to people about all this, but it’s what I could put down quickly.