Responsive Environments

responsive environments, the use of sensory technology and computer equipment to create a collaborative relationship between objects in an environment and the movements of the human body. Similar to a computer mouse’s ability to allow interaction between a computer and its user, responsive environments permit movement and gestures of the body to interact with objects within the environments. Responsive environments employ sensors and other technology to convey information about human motion to computers. Those computers then execute a corresponding reaction in the environment, ranging from the simple adjustment of the room’s temperature to complex robotic movements. Responsive environments have applications in both real and virtual settings.

In the early 1970s computer artist Myron Krueger developed a virtual environment called Videoplace with cameras and projectors in which the human body served as an interactive device. Modern responsive technologies are not limited to video screens and virtual arenas. Developments in sensors and computer technology have led to the experimental testing of office buildings that react to the behaviour of employees. In such offices, building management is largely automated by responsive technology that is activated by motion or microchip badges. The arrival and departure of employees triggers the overhead lights and ventilation systems to turn on and off, thereby conserving power and increasing efficiency. Some responsive environments seek to blur the boundary between the user and computers and enable computers to function without extra input devices. Other applications of such technology include responsive automotive systems and medical instrumentation, “smart” highways, wearable computing, and various forms of interactive media.