Hydrone: Bringing Interactivity to Small Water Features
Mohsen Ensafjoo, Alexander Bakogeorge, Chau Nguyen, Alexander Verni, Finch Gabriel Assadoullaev, Vivian Fung, David McFarlane, Paul Dietz, Fanny Chevalier, Ali Mazalek · 2024
There is a deep connection between humans and water that evokes emotions ranging from the calm of a babbling brook to the terror of a terrible storm. While water features such as fountains are often used architecturally to drive the feeling of a place, most such examples are passive, involving little participation from the guest. We present the Hydrone, a small, autonomous watercraft that can transform small water features into personal, playful, and interactive experiences. This paper describes our initial explorations in creating connection between a land-bound guest and a Hydrone in the water. Our research-through-design (RtD) process explored and expanded the palette of expressive capabilities for the Hydrone through a series of prototype designs. These include the use of water jets and locomotion to evoke emotion, as well as physical design and aesthetic considerations.