ethics @microsoft • prev @brownuniversity @google @statedept
When it comes to kites,
they’re often seen as something to be enjoyed alone. However in many places around the world from India to Brazil, kite fighting is heavily practiced in these countries, where the main goal is to cut the opponent’s line with their own kite lined with broken glass.
Geom·air·try was an exploration of multi-kite interaction to one that is rooted less in competition; instead the goal is to put the parts together – think “tetris” kites.
I. What makes up the kite experience
Going kiting helped me understand what I was trying to build and what feelings I thought had to be captured. Looking closer at the interpersonal relationships, I saw kids looking up at our kite wanting to participate, which sparked the idea of wanting this kite to be interactive.
II. Alexander Bell & Tetris
I was very drawn to the tetrahedral kite built by Alexander Bell, his initial attempts at understanding how to build a kite that could carry both men and motors (now, our airplanes). I molded the tetrahedral ideas with a concept of “tetris pieces fitting in the sky.”
III. Understanding Materials
The hardest part about constructing the kite was understanding the limitations of materials. When working with magnets, they had to be carefully placed so the magnets across kites would attract, but within the individual kites would not repel.
IV. Future Directions
After finishing building the kite, I noticed the beauty of Geom·air·try was that it was made up of building blocks of individual tetrahedrons. This will be an ongoing project where I want to explore how this can be about teaching kids and building different kinds of kites, teaching them aerodynamics but in a more interactive way.