Introduction

Teacher: Karmen Franinovic (IAD)  karmen.franinovic@zhdk.ch Participants: Interaction Design, Product Design and Style&Design students Lucid dreaming is the experience in which the dreamer is capable of aware that he or she is dreaming. In this state, the mind is awake, but the physical body still sleeps. This can be a terrifying experience, especially in the first lucid dreams, and can result in insomnia. However, it can become an enjoyable and rich personal exploration when the dreamer becomes capable of intentionally acting within the dream. In past, various techniques have been developed to induce and to control lucid dreaming.  The lucid dreaming is frequent: 8 people in 10 will have a lucid dream during their lives and scientists argue that this number has been increasing. How can we design for lucid dreaming experience?  How can we affect the sleep process through interactive technology? In this course we will develop products that can put one to sleep and gently wake one up. These products can influence the sleep process by providing different types of stimuli: light, sound, warmth, vibration, movement etc. The stimuli can be activated by tracking the brain activity and other bio-data of the sleeper. The products may range from a lamp with fading light or an alarm clock to a warming up blanket or a pillow that gently repeats sounds. They may also embody different emotions associated to the experience of lucid dreaming. The class takes place in collaboration with ETH Sensory-Motor Systems Lab where researchers study how the sleep process can be controlled. Dates: 26 October 2010 - 12 November 2010 Location: SQ509, design studios Facilities: Physical Computing Lab and Product Design Werkstatt Website: http://blogs.iad.zhdk.ch/luciddreams/