Trace: Artifacts and Heirlooms
Object annotation - there is a story behind every object.
Human beings have a great propensity for storytelling, and for making and using objects. We project value onto an object based on our emotional attachment to it, which in turn is based on our memories associated with it. These objects become cues to our past. They can tell stories about our lives.
This project is an exploration of the role networked, ubiquitous computing can play in storytelling and preserving oral histories. RFID technology is used to create an annotated digital record of personal histories associated with objects. RFID tags are embedded tags into artifacts and heirlooms, and recording the stories triggered by the memories associated with them.
Stories are recorded via the cell phone, outfitted with an RFID reader, which can "tag" the object. The RFID tags serve as both ID tags for the objects and the stories. These oral histories are stored online, on a web site. The stories would still be accessible beyond a person's possession of the object or the object's lifespan, and could be shared among multiple users.
The moment of intervention for preserving these memory triggers may be the moment before parting. This could be spring cleaning, moving, downsizing (the retired and elderly often move from a larger home to a smaller one), or after someone has died and their belongings need to be distributed or disposed of. Memories are often re-jolted when souvenirs re-surface, and their meaning is enhanced by their eminent loss.
