Keywon Chung Inspired Amateur

PY-ROM

2008

– Burn your memory away

Nowadays, easy access to technology enables many of us to obsessively document lives. Much of the captured digital content is often disregarded and forgotten on storage devices, with no concerns of cost or decay. Can we design technology that helps people better appreciate captured memories? What would people do if they only had one more chance to relive past memories?

We present a prototype design, PY-ROM, a matchstick-like video recording and storage device that burns itself away after being used. This encourages designers to consider lifecycles and human-computer relationships by integrating physical properties into augmenting everyday objects.

We identify five suitable attributes of matchsticks for our design to bring the concept of "less is more" to media capture:

• Natural and intuitive interaction
• Connection with tradition
• One-time use
• Suitable burn time
• Portability

Following illustrations show the PY-ROM matchstick design.

Presented at CHI 2009 PDF

With Pei-Yu (Peggy) Chi, Xiao Xiao, and Carnaven Chiu