jean-baptiste labrune
work

radical atoms


2012 · MIT media lab, tangible media group

ACM interactions vol. 19 no. 1

Night-time light installation, long orange fibres hanging
Banner for the Radical Atoms exhibition at Ars Electronica, Linz, against blue light
ars electronica, linz
Close-up of a dark textile covered in raised scales
vision prototype — moisture actuated garments

A vision of human interaction with future dynamic materials that are computationally reconfigurable.

Radical Atoms is a computationally transformable and reconfigurable material, bidirectionally coupled with an underlying digital model, so that dynamic changes of physical form are reflected in digital state in real time, and the reverse.

It is a vision-driven design research on dynamic physical material that can conform to structural constraints, transform its structure and behaviour, and inform new abilities.

Written with Hiroshi Ishii, Dávid Lakatos and Leonardo Bonanni. Exhibited at Ars Electronica, Linz. Concept development with Chris Bangle, designer of the shape-shifting GINA, and brainstorming with Neal Stephenson.