Human Operating System

In order to make the perfect interface for an operating system, “one that really understands our deepest needs”, the Barcelona-based interaction design group Multitouch created a real-life OS that really feels like there is someone ‘inside’ working for you. Their installation, which is named ‘Hi, A Real Human Interface’, is presented as a metaphor for how interaction with technology should be. It presents a computer functioning from a human perspective.

‘Hi, A Real Human Interface’ was presented as a white cube of 1 meter high. The top of the cube is covered with a transparant slab allowing the spectator to see what is happening inside. A keyboard enables people to control the human operating system, for instance to send emails (which fly away as envelopes through a pipe), or to install new updates. Watch the video below to find out how the installation works. (Click here if you are unable see the video.)

The work of Multitouch is often characterized by a strong engagement of the audience. They have worked on numerous projects that aim to blur the boundaries between the ‘real’ and the ‘digital’, and in which people are encouraged to play, move and feel. The designers explain that ‘Hi, A Real Human Interface’ was considered to be a self-portrait project.

“We knew (…) that you are not always as you want to be; instead as people see you. We created a video that reflected our vision in the possibilities that interaction brings to both people and technology. Making technology warmer has always been the goal of our collective and we couldn’t think of a better way to do it than literally embedding a human being inside of it.”

Click here for a Flickr set with photos of the installation.