Robb Godshaw, from Syynlabs,
has created a haptic cube that gives you an impression of what the
temperature will be like tomorrow.
The cube, which Godshaw has named the Cryoscope, consists of an
aluminium shell surrounding a Peltier
element, heatsink, cooling fan and an LED, all controlled by an
Arduino. The cube is heated to a "neutral" state of 30C, and then
adjusted by the number of degrees that the next day's forecast
differs from room temperature (23C).
It takes into account wind chill and humidity to give an idea
what the following day will "feel" like, rather than merely
reflecting air temperature. So, for example, if the forecast for
the next day is for 18C, once those factors are all taken into
account, the cube's
temperature will decrease five degrees from 30C to 25C,
resulting in it being slightly cool to the touch.
Godshaw describes it in the video above as a "haptic
weathervane", adding: "Users enter their location into a web app.
The cube then automatically adjusts to the forecasted temperature.
By touching the Cryoscope, the user is able to feel tomorrow's air
You can see
the Cryoscope in action over on Godshaw's website.
Updated 08:29 09/05/2012: Godshaw has
redesigned the Cryoscope and is raising money for full production
over on Kickstarter.