Internet of Things: Enchanted Objects

Last week I found out I was accepted to be part of Sherlock Holmes and the Internet of Things, an experimental Columbia University prototype that “explores new forms and functions of story.”

I’m fascinated by the location-based storytelling potential of connected devices, and I’m a fan of the Sherlock mysteries, so I was thrilled to be selected to participate.

I’m one of 250 participants in 60+ countries. The experiment is structured as a MOOC, a Massive Open Online Course, with content provided via Hackpad so that anyone can follow along.

Participants work in teams to recreate crime scenes in the style of Sherlock Holmes, with some of the items at the scene functioning as connected devices- an augmented reality mobile app that acts as a magnifying glass, revealing hidden clues; a vintage telephone with triggered audio files that lead to a key witness.

There has been a lot of attention around IOT lately. Microcomputers have become small and inexpensive enough to be accessible for a much wider range of applications, and everywhere people are envisioning new ways to ue them.

David Rose, an instructor at the MIT Media Lab, explores the storytelling potential of connected devices, comparing IOT items to the enchanted objects of fairy tales and popular stories. He uses as examples Dorothy’s ruby slippers, Harry Potter’s magic wand, and the fortune teller’s crystal ball. All of these were common items- shoes, a stick, a piece of glass- that were enhanced to become something more, something meaningful.

When I was a kid I had a toy clock that told stories. It was called Grandpa Time, and it sat beside my bed. The face of the clock looked like a friendly grandfather. He wore a colorful hat and bow tie, and at night he reminded me to brush my teeth before he told me a bedtime story.

He would make an announcement a half hour before bedtime, and at bedtime a night light would come on and a story would begin to play, told in a deep, soothing voice. It was like magic, and I loved him.

In reality, the clock was pre-set with my bed time, and its other actions were tied to that time so that they all occurred automatically. The face was made of plastic, and the stories were just cassette tapes on a timer.

Science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke said, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” When you can’t see the man behind the curtain and are willing to suspend disbelief, objects and locations can take on new depth and greater meaning.

In the coming years, this will open up new ways for people to connect with one another, share ideas, and learn about human behavior. It will enhance our connections to the places and spaces we engage with, alter the way we interact, and broaden our creative field of vision.

Sherlock Holmes and the Internet of Things will give people around the world a chance to become enchanters, and I look forward to taking part.