UK:
The Ringdog project is nothing more than a critic of mobile phone device of communication. My whole masters final project is a critic of nowadays tools of interpersonal communication.
I start from the statement that mobile phone is not sensible to our emotions and have been created for productive aims. It forces ourselves to concentrate our intentions of communication into voice intonation – to have the best quality of signal as said by Roseanne Allequere Stone in her Thesis – and it ignores any other source of communication other than voice – as an example this article on non-verbal language over the mobile phone.

Throughout the mobile we whisper to our loved one, the chick against a piece of plastic, we argue yelling against a piece of plastic, etc. On one side we have got a sensory frustration (tactile and proprioceptive) and a physical isolation towards the receiver.
On the other let’s take the human/dog relationship: affective, sincere, tactile.
Let’s mix the two provoque unexpected situations, new experiences of communication, new usages and try to change users habits on a longer period of time.

FR :
Je travail sur une critique de nos moyens de communication interpersonnelle et en particulier le téléphone mobile d’un point de vue affectif et émotionnel.
Je part du constat selon lequel le téléphone est insensible à nos émotions et à été inventé à des fins utilitaires. Il nous force à concentrer nos intentions de communications dans l’intonation de la voix – comme Roseanne Allequere Stone en parle dans son Doctorat – et il ignore tout indice de communication autre que la voix – pour exemple cet article sur le langage non-verbal délaissé en téléphonie mobile. 

Au travers du mobile on susurre à sa bien aimée la joue contre un bout de plastique, on se dispute en criant contre un bout de plastique, etc.
D’un côté nous avons une frustration sensorielle (tactile et proprioceptive) et un isolement physique envers notre interlocuteur.
De l’autre prenons la relation homme/chien : affective, sincère, tactile.
Mixons les deux pour provoquer de nouvelles situations, de nouvelles expériences de communication, de nouveaux usages et tenter de changer les habitudes utilisateurs sur une longue periode.

CONCEPT:
How can we explore human/dog relationship to emotionally enhance our telecommunications?

TECHNOLOGY:
STRONG AND BEAUTIFUL MATERIAL (LEATHER, RESIN)

BI-DIRECTIONAL CALIBRATED MICROPHONE, HI-DEFINITION SPEAKERS

SIMPLE BLUETOOTH™ PHONE PAIRING
ULTRA LOW RADIO WAVES, NO HEALTH DANGER FOR THE ANIMAL
EASY PICK-UP BUTTON

USE CASES
Lovers, your most faithful friend is with you when loved ones are far away
BRING BACK THE AFFECTION YOU WOULD LIKE TO GIVE ON A PHONE
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuEy014n4vk]

Argument, he understands you and reacts to the conversation (Barking forces you to calm down)
BRING ALIVE FEEDBACK AS A MIRROR OF THE CONVERSATION MOOD
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9LBx99CK2k]

Playful, don’t forget it’s your dog!
BRING BACK LIFE, FUN AND SURPRISE TO YOUR COMMUNICATIONS!

BRINGs BACK EMOTION TO YOUR CONVERSATIONS
BE CLOSER TO YOUR DOG THAN EVER
NO MORE TACTILE FRUSTRATIONS WHEN TALKING ON THE PHONE

CONCEPT: REAL VS DIGITAL WORLD
CONNECTED VIRTUAL WORLD GENERATED A LACK OF PHYSICAL IMPLICATION
TECHNOLOGY GAVE US THE FRUSTRATING EMPOWERMENT OF UBIQUITY
ANIMALS CAN BE A TANGIBLE AND ALIVE LINK WITH THE NON-PHYSICAL WORLD

REJOIN COMMUNICATION AND EMOTIONS IN AN AFFECTIVE INTERFACE
ALIVE, CAPRICIOUS, MOVING, EMOTIONAL, RESPONDING…
BRING BACK LIFE IN OUR COMMUNICATIONS

NEXT :

First tester! Eliot.