radio killed the electric star by alice bonicelli & lorena rubio toledo

radio killed the electric star by alice bonicelli & lorena rubio toledo
all images courtesy of alice bonicelli, lorena rubio toledo

the last thirty years has seen a boom of digital technologies that to this day in an upward trend of both production and consumption. approximately five billion devices are broadcasting in some capacity on a daily basis around the world; and of these five billion, hundreds of millions are wireless. functioning primarily on radio frequencies and electromagnetic fields, the countless devices have created an intangible network that covers every inch of contemporary habitats planet-wide.

series of prototypes

with this invisible network, comes a series of more physical issues. many are in a constant state of concern, even to the point of anxiety, about the as-of-yet unknown effects of living in a world dominated by waves. privacy is a hot topic, and regardless of the systems ensuring protection of peoples’ details, nothing is considered truly safe in an electronic environment. alice bonicelli and lorena rubio toledo, freshmen from piet zwart institute’s master interior architecture and retail design program in rotterdam, created ‘radio killed the electric star’ to bring a different perspective to the dialogue.

used proactively, electromagnetic fields can be used as an omnipresent, open-source of energy. ‘radio killed the electric star’ is a series of lamps that function by interacting with a self-produced field. the pieces are composed of two exaggerated induction coils. when placed in proximity to one another — one generating, the other receiving — an integrated LED turns on automatically. placing them at a distance breaks the link, and the light turns off.

the light is small, but intense enough to see for short distances 

rather than being fearful of the ubiquitous presence, the project prompts, what would interiors look like if every appliance was wireless? may proximity-based technologies lead to unknown aesthetic possibilities? will habitats of the future be controlled by the invisible fields that surround everyone and everything? currently, ‘radio killed the electric star’ is in development by bonicelli and toledo. the project was featured in ‘next habitat’, during milan design week 2015. 

visual representation of the electromagnetic field generated by the primary coil

red and white LED lights

ideally, recycled radio waves from electronic devices can be adapted to power up lamps and other devices

prototypes

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: nick brink | designboom