ODRADEK

A home is a place where people can express their personality. It is a place where personal belongings are displayed and collected. Some things are useful, and others have no obvious use or cannot be classified at all, such as Franz Kafka’s Odradek in the short story The Cares of a Family Man. The Odradek is an enigmatic creature that oscillates between thinginess and human characteristics. Inspired by this, we envisioned a tangible with affective abilities that is embedded in a home automation system. However, we did not imagine a personality with good traits, but rather a character that can cause troubles. To simulate affective behavior, the Odradek reacts differently to stimulus events triggered by the user. Based on Robert Plutchik’s wheel of emotions, the Odradek displays annoyance, anger, serenity, and a neutral state.

Design & Implementation: Jessica Broscheit
Coding and Integration into the Smart Home Environment: Fabian Erdmann
PCB: Markus Kasten
Photo & Video Documentation: Jessica Broscheit