Digital innovation & turning your thoughts to beer

I work for a digital agency that specialises in web design & build...

Where I head up our innovation labs

We’re responsible for exploring & evaluating new technologies and concepts and sharing what we learn with our clients

We focus on turning ideas into some form of prototype that can then be discussed, tested, and iterated

One of our latest prototypes is the Brain Powered Beer Machine. (more later)

I’ve been asked to talk about how we see the future in digital.

These 3 points aren’t so much future gazing as current trends that we think are super important, and that we’ve been playing with over the last 12 months

Firstly, frictionless by platform and device.

I should be able to complete any task on any device, whichever I have closest to hand. I shouldn’t need to swap to a bigger screen, or to a keyboard input, or download an app first

Secondly, frictionless by effort

We no longer rely on mouse & keyboards. We have devices that use touch, gesture, motion, temperature, voice, fingerprints, & heartbeat as input methods

Communications & transactions will be hidden as more objects become connected, in an effort to save us time, money & effort

The over used example: fridges that order more groceries when we run out

But we starting to see bins that let the council know when they need emptying

A while ago, we connected a recycling bin to our network. Using a light sensor we can count bin usage and measure and improve ourrecycling efforts

More interestingly, when we’ve connected our objects, what will they say to each other? Can we move beyond utilitarian uses and make room for emotion?

Check out the Addicted Products project where toasters, that love to be used, can asked to be re-homed if they’re feeling neglected

We’re big fans of this philosophy.

Cheap landfill marketing is inexcusable. We need to craft products & experiences that people love, so they’ll love our brands back.

We need to give people smiles, memories & ownership

Our latest project is a Lionel Richie signing-in kiosk, where visitors sculpt a self portrait in our 3D browser clay. It’s so much nicer than the boring biro & paper based approach

Hopefully, why we made our beer machine makes a little more sense now.

It’s no great invention, but a collection of readily available objects connected together with a few bits of code.

It uses brainwaves as an input method, and so far it’s pulled 500 pints and made most people smile

(we also realised that our company name was an anagram of brewed, so perhaps we should have been making our own beer long ago?)

So, what is Head to Head?

it’s a system that asks the question: Can you concentrate hard enough to pour a pint?

And here’s how it works...

First you need a brain. Sounds easy, but so far we’ve met 5 people who don’t have one (according to the technology)

...and a headset.

this has 4 touch points, & measures electromagnetic waves between them.

It connects with bluetooth...

...to an iPad

Which meant we had to design & build an iPad app.

This visualises the levels of concentration that the headset detects.

As the user focuses their mind, the cursor moves towards the centre of the target

...and at the centre, the iPad sends a signal via our closed wifi network...

...to an Arduino (an electronic prototyping kit) that we’ve set up and programmedto then trigger...

...a solenoid. Which is a fancy electronically controlled valve

The solenoid’s connected to thehome brew

And when you’ve poured the perfect pint, you have to stop thinking straight away to avoid over

Obviously we’re no longer at #DIF, and neither are you so you can’t give it a go But do check out Headtohead.redweb.comFor photos, videos & details of how to get in touch if you’d like to know more