Goldsmiths' sensor sensibility

Goldsmiths is helping Microsoft get in on the internet of things bandwagon. They write:

Interaction Design at Goldsmiths, University of London has been selected as one of eight programmes worldwide to take part in the 2014 Microsoft Design Expo. 

This year, students will be challenged to create designs that address the theme of sensors. People encounter sensors all the time. Motion sensors turn on lights in a dark place and carbon monoxide detectors tell us that the air is becoming hazardous. These sensors extend our abilities to see, hear and feel far beyond what we ourselves can take in, and a new wave of technology mean smaller, more numerous devices which offer new possibilities.

Following the launch of the project earlier in January, students will work in small groups to generate designs that respond to this given theme. "This is a great opportunity for our students to be stimulated by industry research, and realise that their responses can in turn challenge and inspire", said Tobie Kerridge, programme leader for Interaction Design in the Department of Design. 

It's not just a good opportunity for the college and its students, it's also another sign of Goldsmiths' growing reputation as a centre of excellence for computing and technology, which in the long-term should help to stretch the Tech City cluster down the East London Line, as start-ups chase design talent, cheaper rents and the delights of Greater Brockley...

Full disclosure: This represents the intersection of two vested interests - I'm on the Council of Goldsmiths and the agency I work for counts Microsoft among its clients. Nonetheless, I think it's interesting.