The playground hasn't evolved much since it first popped up in the late 1800s, but artist Richard The thinks it's time for an upgrade. His thesis project for Berlin's UDK Digital Media Class installs visual and audio elements to seasaws, swings, and spring elephants.
Richard, who Wired wrote about in a story about geek graffiti, designed three modules for Playful Parasites, each equipped with bluetooth in order to communicate with an on-site computer. The swing module is attached on top of the swing's chain and reads tilting and acceleration. The spring module attaches to either a seasaw or a rocking seat via magnets and uses the same sensors as the former. The slide module clamps on any slide or climbing step, reading a person's position via a distance sensor.
Richard is currently working on three concepts that use the mods:
Light: The swing module, along with a light source, is installed on a swing. The swinger's movement is translated into a spot of light on the ground. The higher the person goes the further the light moves, eventually crossing the borders of the playground and onto the street. [video]
Sound: Each modded piece of equipment is connected to a specific track of a song, and can be played like a musical instrument. [video]
Virtual Façade: Specifically adapted for playgrounds in Berlin, which are situated in gaps between buildings, this design projects windows on the walls in these gaps behind which shadows of people show fragments of their everyday life. Each playground device controls a window and triggers other actions in the windows next to it.
The is planning on testing out his modules in a Berlin playground this month. This beats Chuck E. Cheese by a long shot!
