Thomas Essl

Talisman is a wearable haptic device that discreetly informs the user about personal security in urban areas.  It is complimented by an application that mines publicly available information related to criminal activity, relates it to the user, context and surroundings, and triggers feedback in the wearable. Talisman removes the need for wearers to ever pull out their phone by alerting them via vibration, warmth or a chill when approaching scenarios of increased risk.

Like an elephant that seeks higher grounds hours before a tsunami approaches, people in modern environments should have a reliable sense of danger. Talisman empowers you to unbound discovery and exploration of your surroundings with confidence and peace of mind, and challenges how we consume, or rather perceive, information. It is the first of a new kind of devices, which I call instinct augmenting smart wear. 

Skye (Group Project)

Skye harvests water from the clouds. With a combination of kites, helium balloons, water harvesting meshes and a water tank, the cloud harvester ‘Harvey’ successfully attracts and collects the suspended water.