Tea across seas!
The act of sharing tea with one another contains such depth and that depth is lost when individuals are physically separated. The act of brewing, stirring and drinking tea allows an individual to slow down and be fully present in a seemingly mundane activity. With others, tea is the commonality that aids socialization but also grounds individuals to be physically present in an increasingly fleeting society.
The student team, having left their homes in the United States, experience a large time difference that prevents them from being close to their family and friends back home. The tea set they've designed allows two remotely located individuals to send personalized audio compositions to each other while drinking tea. The tea set includes two platforms and a "musical" spoon. The experience is activated by pouring yourself a cup of tea through the use of a load cell that detects the change of weight of the teacup. When the first person picks up the spoon, the LED on the platform turns on. Then, the person can stir their “musical” spoon in their cup of tea to create a custom sonic composition. The recording is sent when the person finished their cup of tea. When the composition is sent, an LED on the receiving individual’s platform turns on indicating that a musical composition is ready to listen. They can listen to the music by filling their cup with tea, thus repeating the cycle of interaction.
The team hopes this project allows other students or remotely situated individuals to connect over an activity that is typical of one’s morning routine. They hope you all have “teatime” with a loved one!
The team hopes this project allows other students or remotely connected individuals to connect over an activity that is typical of one’s morning routine. They hope you all have “teatime” with a loved one!
