Italian Government Without Politicians!

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/montis-italian-government-named-14962293#.TsQyAbImx8E

On the news this morning, the Italian Government has sworn in a new cabinet, Italy has sworn in professionals and not politicians to save the countries impending financial crisis. Although this is not exactly how our group planned it to be, it is very very close. Below I've pasted some comments about how Australian people feel about the above article.


"What a brilliant move. We should do that here. While Congress and the President lurch toward another impasse over the budget ceiling, when they not busy enriching themselves with insider trades, we should follow Italy's lead. The vast majority of people in serving on the Hill are lawyers - they are trained to argue and win points. This is why we are gridlocked. They are not trained to govern or deal with economic issues. I both applaud and envy the Italians"

"Wow, no politcians in Monti's new cabinet. And focusing on economic growth. What a bold move! He will go far in fixing italy's economic problems. Wish we have someone like him in AUS to take charge of our problems. Maybe our two party political system is one of the barriers of getting things done! "

Even though, the assignment is over, I thought this was interesting and would post it up anyway out of general interest.

Project Reflection

Following on from our first project, we realized our ideas weren't fully resolved and modified them slightly. It took me most part of the project to actually find the path I wanted to take to resolve the issues I had. I ended up pursuing a path of resolving the problems without a building, which I thought about and reconsidered several times, but came to the conclusion that if i did design some kind of building or structure that, I would be doing it just for the sake of doing it and not because it was actually necessary in my design resolution.
Overall I have to say, this last project has been the most complex I have experienced to date, which challenged me in various ways, and also allowed me to think and view design from a digital perspective.

Thank you to all of those that helped me along this process, Yasu, my peers and most of all DaVor.

Presentation Reflection

So I got a very mixed response from my tutor and the guest critiques. The guest critiques both agreed that I did not have a "design" to critique, which in some ways is fair as my design is closely tied in with the virtual aspect. However, their opinion on my idea/concept to improve relations between the parliament and population would have been more helpful. But part of me also thinks that maybe they did not fully understand my concept, as if I were to redesign a bus or train terminal (as they suggested I should have done) then the feasibility and implementation of my design would disappear, as one of my main foci was for my concept to to placed throughout Australia with ease and affordability.
My tutor however, who understood where I started and what my idea was in my opinion was happy with my design and concept. He did tell me areas in which I could have pushed my design a little further and also stated that my model maybe took away from my concept, due to its size. Which I completely agree with, I too discovered the same issue which is why I tried to illuminate my model to draw attention to my particular idea. However as can be seen below, its much more effective at night than in the day.

Panel

Response to CRA

• Infrastructure
• 1. Strategy: The basis of my design revolves around utilizing existing walls and floors, as well as digital resources such as the National Broadband Network.
     
     
     
  2.  
      Logistics: Adaptability is another strong point of my solution. Because the system i am proposing and implementing is like a projector with a camera, it's mainly dependent on the software which runs it. This makes my concept extremely adaptable to future endeavors.
     
     
• Tectonic Resolution
• 1. Purpose and Function: The success of using projector screens to provide government news as well as local information easily to the public solves several issues theoretically. However if the public would actually use the screens in a different story, which can only be tested with practical use.
     
     
  2. Circulation and Access: Because this idea can be applied in almost every situations from public transport terminals, to parks, or shopping  centers, its easily accessed by the public. Because of its implementation in lower socioeconomic areas, the technology and use of it is not limited to anyone in particular.
     
  3. Structural and/or Operational Integrity: Because my idea is based on existing technology which has been used and tested, the integrity and operation of my idea is sound.
     
     
     
     
• Poetic Resolution
• 1. Presence and Identity: The presence of my concept and idea is meant to be be discreet and pose little impact on the physical environment, unless they are in use. Public displays and implementation are there to draw the public's attention and make them aware of the idea.
     
     
  2. User Experience: The design of the user interface has designed to be similar to those that people are already used to, as well as being simple and easy to use.
     
     
     
     

Distributed, Flexible, Mobile, Virtual

 

The above image, is me checking to see the ties and relations my idea/concept has towards the 4 themes, and seeing which ones it relates and fits into. I found that, to achieve the theme that I am in (distributed) it heavily relies on its connection to the virtual realm and that the flexibility of my concept is vital to its success and feasibility.

Quick Render

Above is a quick render to help understand the implementation of my idea showing the areas that it can be used and the various surfaces it can be used on.

Complete Project Overview

So basically I discovered 2 main problems in relation to the government. First is about the distribution of power, and about how the parliament controls the people instead of representing them. 

However I found that dissolution of the current parliament and splitting it into the states was not the answer. The main issue is the house of representatives, the politicians and political parties. So in my plan i propose to remove political parties from parliament and replace them with the people currently working under them who do all the research, identify the problems and then proceed to facilitate a solution. The government will work on a Vote for a Policy method over voting for a party. There will be people employed to mediate and translate between the public and the government. (By this I mean, they will make government policies easy to understand and "interesting" so that the normal person is better able to understand what everything means. They will also gather the public's opinions and views and present them to the government who will then need to come up with an appropriate change or response to the people.)

The second problem I found is a communication breakdown or gap. Because of this breakdown, we don't seem to understand each others` intentions very well, each other being the government and the general population. The current forms of communication which are most prominent are things like newspapers, television, billboards, radio and computers, with the exception of computers we have a lot of one way traffic communication. So we hear loud and clear what they have to say, but do they hear us? What we need is a form of return communication which will be acknowledged and acted upon.

The system I'm proposing to close this gap, is based on existing technology called sixth sense, which was and I'm guessing still is being developed by Media Lab at MIT. The media which can be displayed through the device is similar to that of any tablet or computer. (Refer to the Pranav Mistry vid previously posted)

But I thought instead of having everyone buy one of these devices or a tablet computer etc, why don't I implement free fixed devices in various areas utilizing existing infrastructure such as walls and floors as well as progressive infrastructure like the NBN. So coming to my idea, it's more like the projector with a camera or scanning laser to detect the touch on the surface. On solid walls, it will have to be front projection, but if there is a glass wall there is no reason that it cannot be rear projection. And there is nothing stopping someone from using their feet to control it either. (Refer to the previous posts about project technologies)

Because this device is a simple projector and scanning laser. It's easier to think of it as a keyboard, regardless of how far computers have progressed, keyboards are virtually unchanged. So it's adaptability to future technology is almost endless. 

The intended purpose and function of this kind of system can play host to a series of services, and does not need to be confined purely to government information. Depending on the particular area any amount of information can be displayed and be active, from train timetables to weather forecasts and local news.

However the main purpose is to create a form of media that helps people want to interact and understand the current parliament. With easy diagrams, simple dot points and interesting videos.

The ability for people to voice their opinion and having their opinion acknowledged is the most important part. This way people can type or voice their opinion and can also read and listen to other peoples opinion. The government can then see what topics people are passionate about and offer a response. (People who I previously mentioned to mediate between the government and people come in here)

 The main idea for the implementation is a greater level of transparency between people and the government.

With new installations like this, initial positioning is vital to ensure people interact and use the service. So I guess there are three steps to the implementation.

First, to place them in areas where people are basically forced to interact with them. Positions where people have nothing to do, like at public transport terminals or pick up zones. When people are waiting for public transport they are generally bored and un-interested which is why the mX newspaper is such a success. Now would you rather play with a touch screen while waiting for a bus or train or read a newspaper? After people interact with the system, the goal not to limit and force them to read government news and voice their opinion, but rather give them an option to view it and attempt to make it interesting and simple enough to understand to make people want to read it.

Second, would be larger interactive displays to make people more aware of its presence  in dominant pedestrian heavy areas such as Queen St Mall as well as hold appeal towards the younger generations. Maybe something like the splitting of screens every time someone steps on the area to accommodate more people and draw attention would also be useful. 

Finally the third step in the hope that people are now familiar with the system is the implementation in other common waiting or standing areas such as parks and seating outside shops etc.

As previously stated, because of its flexibility and versatility there is no reason why this system can't evolve into the previously seen 6th sense device. Or depending on the limits and restrictions set by the people and government together that more data is able to be accessed through these screens. There's nothing stopping advertising on the screens while they are not in use by people, or implementing a finger-print recognition system so that people can customize what kind of news and features they see. The limits of this technology is pretty much what you can imagine.

Model Part 4

Solution has been reached to previous problem. Thinking all last night, came back to my torch idea which failed and realized I can put little led lights to illuminate my makeshift touch panels. I went out and bought a bunch of led's, wires, a switch n a battery. After a night of soldering and burnt fingers I think I am very very pleased with the end result. The led lights clearly draw attention to my specified areas of interest, especially at night. I will let the images below do the explaining.

Model Part 3

So I have completed my final model, however my major concern is that you cant really see or notice the touchscreen panels very easily as the structures dominate peoples attention. The only really noticeable ones are in the park on the ground. I'm thinking this may cause confusion about my design. I'm considering removing the top part of the building unless I can think of a way to resolve this issue. Currently I think my previous model is much more informing...

Scanning And Projecting

Like most of my design, its the utilization of existing technology. The user in my design interacts with the touch screen in a similar fashion that the user is interacting with the keyboard below. A projector projects the image and a laser scans the movement and use of fingers to navigate the interface.

Possible Interfaces

So today I was looking at other forms of interface which I can implement other than projection. I found a couple of interesting ones from microsoft and sony using different technology.

I think the flexibility of the sony device is quite remarkable, but in the end it comes down to the fact that when compared to my purpose, project is the most cost efficient method as well as the most sustainable.

Model Part 2

So DaVor gave me a new model idea when he said if I can i should make something using an ipad to represent the touch screen etc, however I don't own a touchpad or anything like that. I also thought that a model where a screen is the size of an ipad would have to be a pretty big model. So i thought that I could just use my phone, that way it would be easier to make a scale model, so today I got some more laser cutting done (still building my main model (it is bigger than i anticipated))
So below the images shows my phone being used as if it was a panel in a train station, while the panel's on either side have been turned off and display a transparent background.

I think this model is quite effective at displaying the implementation of my design so far..

Backtracking 3

Finally going through possible solutions making sure they relate back to the initial issue.

Real eye-phone

After more research, I saw that there was technology where you could control your phone by blinking and thought that if i could implement this into my panel or design (thinking about what Pranav said in the 6th sense video about taking technology back a step to the 4 or 5th sense for people who didnt have limbs etc, that they could still use the device etc) I however came to the conclusion that using blinking etc to use a public screen would be too confusing and complicated and most likely cause more problems than solve. I think it might be useful for a personal device but definitely not public.

Interface - Eye phone

I was researching some interface images and came across this vid clip which made me think, is it possible to take my design in this direction? Or could my design at least evolve to this kind of stage at some point..

Backtracking 2

After identifying the problem, I then looked further into identifying the causes of the problem, as these are the issues i need to directly address to solve the problem.

New model idea

Tonight I just thought of a new idea for my model! if i use a torch to project images, and i just put images infront of the torch so it projects similar to that of a batman symbol.

 

 

However my idea did not work, and nothing really showed up...

Model Development

So this week I started thinking about making a model even though my design has not been properly resolved. I however am pretty sure of the direction I am heading in, and that my model should be more to show the implementation of my design, as I do not have the knowledge, ability or time to create anything like a 6th sense device. In terms of designing my model layout, I tried to incorporate all the areas that I would possibly want to implement my design.

After trying a couple of layouts i decided it would be easier to just use the same layout as my sketchup model which can be seen below.






So tomorrow i will head to the workshop n hopefully get everything cut!
The other reason I want to do the model early is because it helps me find issues with my design which i would have otherwise missed until it is too late, and also because it is impossible to get into the workshop in the last couple of weeks!

Backtracking

So i'm just doing a quick backtrack process to make sure i'm on the right path, as in projects like this I slowly but steadily tend to veer off path.

The above image ensure that the design process i'm currently heading down still addresses the initial problem.

Location Location Location

My main concern I guess is where I am going to implement these screens and what can I do to ensure people use them.

My first idea is to put them in public transport terminals e,g, train stations, bus stops etc. I think this would be very efficient as it can also display timetable information. But also when someone is waiting for a bus they generally have nothing to do, and they are then more likely to participate and use the technology for the intended purpose. It has already been implemented with advertising in such areas, because people have nothing else to do so they read and pay attention to the ads. Also the mX newspaper which is heavily distributed in the Myer center is such a big hit because people don't have anything else to do while they wait.

And it's not just limited to walls, the link below shows an example of this technology being implemented with feet on the floor.
Cube Projection System

New Technologies part 2

Yesterday DaVor showed us a video of even more advanced technology which is posted below.

The technology he is developing is much more sophisticated for the application that my design requires, but there is nothing saying that it can't be incorporated or advanced to that stage. I believe towards the end of the video he also states that the system he created is around $2-300 which is quite cheap considering that an ipad2 is around $800. It shows that the technology can be cheaply and informatively implemented for all to use.

Existing Applications

There are already several instances where interactive touch screen technology is in use, it's just in a very small limited scale and used particularly for a limited purpose.

This first image above, is an interactive real estate application allowing people to scroll through and look at different properties and their features.

The second image is taken in an airport in England and is the worlds largest interactive touch screen, it's 18m long, but with current technology, it is said that it would be no problem creating a screen that is 800m long.

My idea is along these lines, except that it allows people to send and receive information between parliament and the people.

New Technologies

The following video is about new forms of interactive technology that an industrial student has completed for his masters. The second video is about his development and testing of the product.

Development Video

Bridging the Gap part 2

So the form of media that i'm most likely going to use to communicate between the public and government is going to be in the form of interactive touch screens. Technology today allows us to make these items simply and easily. Products such as smart-phones and tablet computers have advanced touch screen displays of all sizes and also in projector formats using laser technology to calculate the location of the "touch".

My idea is basically to create a touch screen interface system which allows people to see read and see news about new political changes in plain and simple english, detailing its impacts on the community and surrounding area and also why they are being implemented. People will then be able to provide feedback on these issues as they will be better informed and also the feedback will be more relevant as they will be able to better understand the issues at hand.
This doesn't mean that these screens will be limited to provide information about politics. They will inform the public about certain information relevant in that particular area.
E.g. if located at a bus station the information provided may be:
-bus timetable
-weather
-political information
-changes to anything public transport e.g. price increases or busway upgrading etc

Bridging the Gap

After looking for a way to create a communication bridge between the government and the people, the following videos showcase what is possible technologically.

Communication Gap part 2

The above video explains how youth in Germany are interested in politics and government, however for the most part they do not understand it. This is also a part of the communication gap, and so another factor that I need to consider is whatever method I use to bridge this gap needs to be able to cater for most ages i.e. 16+

Communication Gap

Because of the communication gap, the people don't know/understand what the government is doing and why they are doing it.

Take for example if you go to the doctor and describe a few symptoms to him/her. The doctor then tells you that you have micardisyphalitis, gives you a box of pills and tells you to take 2 a day. You are left in the dark, you don't know what's wrong with you, you don't know what you are taking, and you don't know what the effects of your following actions will entail.
If however the doctor told you, you have micarisyphalitis, a normal chest infection, i'm giving you a box of these pills, they are amoxocillian, a general antibiotic which will help you fight off the infection while you rest.
You now understand what you have, what it's doing to your body, what you are taking to fight it and what its effects are.

Just like your suburb may complain to the councilor/government that your roads always have pot-holes and there is always roadworks going on in the community and its damaging cars.
The government says, okay! we'll fix it, we've implemented Act 2.1231231 Restriction of Motor Vehicles in Suburban Areas under the PAMD Motor Act of 1999.
The population does not know what that means, and most of them will not have the time or effort to go and read through and interpret the legal jargon.
However if the government said, road deterioration is due to large trucks taking short cuts and driving over suburban roads causing overuse of the road. We've implemented Act 2.1231231 Restriction of Motor Vehicles in Suburban Areas under the PAMD Motor Act of 1999 which basically states that trucks and other large machinery cannot drive through suburban areas and must stay on major arterial roads.

Now everybody understands everybody and what actions the government take are understood by the public.

Back-tracking

So now, i've hit a dead end as changing the house of representatives into office space doesn't really fit in with what I want to achieve in this project.
My solution to this problem is to go back to the beginning (again) and find out why I initially wanted to change parliament in the first place.

It takes me back to the inverted pyramid.

 My main goal of changing the parliament was to give more power to people in choosing how they tackle certain situations and problems. (i.e. deciding between carbon trading and a carbon tax)

By removing political parties I've removed the unnecessary debates and time/money wasting in parliament. But I also think that one of the main issues between the government and the population is a lack of understanding due to a gap in communication.

Parliament House

Above  is a general plan of the layout of parliament house in Canberra. I previously found out that the House of Representatives is a room that I do not need.

So to implement a new parliamentry system that is more efficient and fair and utilizes less tax-payers money, we need to re-fit/redesign the house of representatives to accommodate the new system.

The exisiting ministers and prime ministers offices can be used my the new experts.

Reflection to Date

So after the last tute on tuesday, Davor pushed me to re-think what my intentions were in the first assignment, and how I am achieving this in the current brief.

...So what we wanted to achieve in the first assignment is:

1. Remove politicians and instate experts in specific divisions to create new policies.
2. Divide parliament into each state, to allow more flexibility in laws.

However now when I think about this, there are several issues I can find with the logic behind them.

1. Splitting up parliament will render Canberra and the current parliament house useless.
2. It will bemore expensive and inefficient to run a parliament in each state.
3. There aren't that many experts in Australia to develop acts/rules for each state.
4. Businesses and people will exploit states which have rules which are more beneficial to them.

So now I'm thinking why did I want to split up parliament in the first place? And what factors do I need to implement to remove politicians without causing major upset to the government to allow a smooth transition.

The Parliament System

So after investigating how the current political system works, i've found that the House of Representatives is where the political discussions take place.

The senate review policies aggreed upon in the house of representatives and then revise them or approve them and implement them.

Driverless Airport Pods

I saw in a news article today, about new driver-less laser guided pods which have been implemented at Heathrow Airport. It would be interesting if it was possible to implement this kind of technology as a form on transport between government buildings, or just as pubic transport all-together. At the very least some food for thought and inspiration.

http://video.news.com.au/2136246441/Look-ma-no-driver

A link to a brief video about the pods.

City of Perth

Perth council house, is already considered an icon of Perth, which has undergone retrofits and refurbishments, including its LED light incorporation (which I personally think destroys its heritage meaning, and makes it look somewhat tacky)

http://www.australiaforeveryone.com.au/icons_per_councilhse.htm

To get an idea of what other architecture is like in Perth, i've been looking at some videos of Perth architecture and their lifestyle.

The Existing Council House

I thought, before I get ahead of myself I should do a bit of research about the current Perth council house which I plan to change. This way hopefully I can get an idea of what it useful and what isn't.

Turns out it was opened by the Queen in 1963 after Perth hosted the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games.

Council House is constructed from concrete-encased steel frame, with lifts and service rooms located at its eastern end and a fire escape stairwell at its western end. Level 9 houses the distinctive circular Council Chamber, which features wood panelling and has been restored to largely its original state in the 1990s refurbishment (by contrast to most of the other levels of the building). The building is almost completely clad with glass, which led to criticism about its excessive air conditioning costs. The glass exterior of the building has T-shaped white sunbreakers superimposed in an alternating pattern across the building, coated with fine mosaic tiles. With the newly-enclosed top floor, the building now has 13 levels above ground.
The building, which was the favourite creation of its designer Jeffrey Howlett, has been called the most important example of modernist architecture in Perth and "one of the State's modernist icons". The building has been described as demonstrating "modernist aspirations" from the Bauhaus school, exuding "brutalist warmth".Stephen Neille, the Chair of Architectural Design at Curtin University, described it as reflecting Perth of that time: a city "brimming with confidence and consciously promoting itself to the world as a modern city"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_House,_Perth
http://heritageperth.com.au/make-history/perths-treasures/council-house

Ideas part 3

Here are two more alternatives, to manipulate the existing structure.

Existing Structure

Above is the existing council house, and below are some basic merges with some ideas. the main complication is the restricted space between the current structure and the courthouse and government house

Ideas part 2

So after Yasu's lecture, I thought I had some basic idea of what I was going to do. However after I talked with DaVor, my ideas and thoughts changed again completely. I heard DaVor talking with other students about utilizing the current structure, and although DaVor said it was okay to create a new building if I could justify it.

I thought, there is no point in creating a new building, when buildings already exist. Otherwise the older buildings will have no purpose, and that alone would be waste enough not to change the current system at all.

So that got me thinking about the current buildings, and incorporating my design into existing infrastructure.
Below in red, is the old site that I had selected, and in blue is my new proposed site.

The new site, is the current main government office building in Perth located adjacent to the supreme court of Perth and Government House. It also has close access to the river system. By using the existing building, the core structure is already in place.