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The humble router transformed
Posted by Patrick Burgoyne, 16 July 2009, 9:28 Permalink Comments (14)
You may not have thought much about the design of your router – that little white box that sits blinking in the corner as it beams your wi-fi signal around the house – but a bunch of Goldsmiths students have been looking at its potential as art piece, time piece and energy saver.
TalkTalk asked the students to imagine what the Routers of the Future might look like. They came up with four prototypes:
Route O'Clock creates a picture of the varying signal strength throughout the day, so that people can make the most of their internet connection by going online at the best times. Complete with twenty-four glowing segments, the display indicates signal strength as time passes.
Energy Saver, on the other hand, switches itself off when not in use. It has four hooks for house keys. When the last person to leave home lifts their keys off the router, it turns itself off.
Then we have Hybrid which, apparently, "combines traditional craftsmanship, classical lines and modern technology. For the first time, the router becomes an elegant and practical addition to users’ homes. A 60’s revival style statement, the handmade Hybrid Router seamlessly integrates the guts of a traditional router with a funky hardwood side table".
And, lastly, Jelly Fish. "It has been designed to become the centre of attention; a talking point which brings people together," it says on the press bumpf.
More about the project is explained in this slightly cheesy video
14 Comments
The jellyfish pic with the people using it rather looks like a scene from one of those sci-fi films where the alien has its little army of mind-controlled drones conquering the planet by silent stealth. Hero breaks in; smashes the Weird Glowing Central Brain Thing (TM)... Earth is saved.
2009-07-16 11:03:57
The jellyfish makes me giggle. And while I am sympathetic to, and indeed quite intrigued by, attempts to render the dull objects of daily life less-dull, I am unconvinced by these offerings. I do appreciate the effort tho'.
2009-07-16 12:26:58
"The Energy Saving router is one we think will have REAL appeal."
As opposed to the others, which have none.
Joking aside, I really like the clock one. I want one, but seeing as I use the internet at all times of day, I'd prefer if the lights displayed other info.
2009-07-16 15:39:32
The designs are psychedelic.
2009-07-16 15:53:27
The idea of the router as a wall clock is nice, maybe the way it's rendered here is just a step too far.
Still great to see some proper design to try and make a relatively useless product (the thing itself, not the stuff it does) more functional. Less arty stuff and more energy saving please.
2009-07-16 16:10:00
hmmm... i don't think so
2009-07-16 17:08:29
the smell of artfart is nauseating.
nice ideas, but would be nice to see something a bit more practical.
I don't see the difference between this and shoving a "traditional" router behind a table and hanging a clock over the table though, I guess a bit of consolidation...but not much
2009-07-16 19:44:25
I think these are great ideas , I especially like the concept of the clock - if you could do this - I'm so fed up with the dodgy signal I get at times - it would be good to know the optimum time. I like the key one too, in fact they are all fun.
2009-07-16 20:11:50
Great ideas... not sure if my girlfriend would like a creepy jellyfish in the living room though…
I do like the idea of using a tool we anyway use and turning it into something which looks the part too.
2009-07-17 12:41:24
awful, useless, pointless.
Come on CR blog, get a point of view and/or don't post nonsense like this.
Standards are slipping.
2009-07-17 14:28:52
why can't the humble router just remain humble?
2009-07-17 16:55:01
I'm no Arthur C Clarke but I reckon the future of routers might not involve ethernet cables.
And I think my router may have been among the first to be seamlessly integrated into an elegant piece of furniture. It's under my sofa.
2009-07-17 22:24:26
Utterly rubbish - totally off-putting aesthetically speaking -
design for dummies!
2009-07-18 12:14:14
The future looks ugly.
2010-09-28 15:41:00
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