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Student Notable

Speculative Design Award

Core77 Design Awards 2020

Results Announced for Community Choice Prize See All Winners

An Extended Time-Unit World

With the continuous improvement of technology, humans have higher requirements for the accuracy of time. After the invention of the computer, the tempo of the world accelerated significantly, causing the time value for each person has changed and 24-hour system may no longer be applicable to everyone. Based on this historical evolution, we can't help thinking, what if we lived in a "non 24-hour/day" world?

Suppose that in 1972, the International Time Unit Exchange Organization (ITUEO) proposed a new time system "Extended Time-Unit", which divided the world into four regions using different time units based on factors such as industry type, pace of life, and production speed…


Time-Unit Exchanger ITUEO installed Time-Unit Exchangers at the borders of each zone. One must exchange their time-unit before entering another zone.
Time-Unit Exchanger ITUEO installed Time-Unit Exchangers at the borders of each zone. One must exchange their time-unit before entering another zone.
Zone1:Natural Area This zone consists mainly of primary industries such as agriculture, husbandry, fishery and forestry, and has the slowest pace of life of all 4 areas. Here, we designed a clock, that is shaped like a semi-circle, and stays perpetually parallel to the Sun. The clock's face has no markings, just 4 equally sized slices (one day equals to 4 GPs). According to the position of the Sun, a respective slice lights up. This clock symbolizes the connection between life in this area, and nature.
Zone 2:Commercial Area This zone is where most business activity, transactions, finance, etc. are hosted. Office buildings fill the skyline. Life here is similar to the former 24hr day and thus only the numeric values displayed on the clock face differ. Formerly, one day is displayed in 24hrs, but now, it is divided into 32HRs.
microbuzz-website

In order to make people more effective and convenient to use the appropriate time unit to adapt to the continuously developing technology, in 1972, countries established the International Time Unit Exchange Organization (ITUEO), and proposed a new time system "Extended Time-Unit. "

Before the "Extended Time-Unit" was used, people used a time system of 24 hours a day, and the "extended time-unit" was to expand other time units around the previously recognized unit "hour: minute: second" to the unit column composed of X: GP: HR: MN: SC: kf: i, and each zone uses different time units in order according to factors such as industrial type, living pace, and production value. Meanwhile, for better adapting and faster communications with technology advances, ITUEO selected a new numeric carry rule for the Extended Time-Unit, the Binary number system of computational devices. For smoother public adoption, the new numeric bases of each unit within the system is set to be the value closest to the original number.

So what may this world look like?

We do not intend to portray a comprehensive image of the entire world, since world population exceeds 7-billion, and 7-billion versions of this world will exist. Preferably, by showing a vision of how each zone can display their time, with some public facilities, commercial products, and a scenario of time-unit exchanging upon zone-crossings, we can better provide a glimpse of what this world may look like.

Time-Unit Exchanger

ITUEO installed Time-Unit Exchangers at the borders of each zone. One must exchange their time-unit before entering another zone.

Zone 1:Natural Area

This zone consists mainly of primary industries such as agriculture, husbandry, fishery and forestry, and has the slowest pace of life of all 4 areas. Here, we designed a clock, that is shaped like a semi-circle, and stays perpetually parallel to the Sun. The clock's face has no markings, just 4 equally sized slices (one day equals to 4 GPs). According to the position of the Sun, a respective slice lights up. This clock symbolizes the connection between life in this area, and nature.

Zone 2:Commercial Area

This zone is where most business activity, transactions, finance, etc. are hosted. Office buildings fill the skyline. Life here is similar to the former 24hr day and thus only the numeric values displayed on the clock face differ. Formerly, one day is displayed in 24hrs, but now, it is divided into 32HRs.

Zone 3:Manufactural Area

Contrary to the above 2 zones, the manufacturing industry and machineries requires more precise time. Our design for Zone 3 is called – "microbuzz". Like small alarm clocks, microbuzz offers 4 different cycles of time, 8sc/16sc/32sc/64sc, respectively. Microbuzz gives off different frequency vibrations when in different time cycles, helping users stay in a highly productive state. Microbuzz is intuitive to use, an adhesive patch allows direct attach onto the body, and time count starts automatically. The patches also feature 2 different time cycles, and can be paired freely with microbuzz for use.

Zone 4:Automated Area

This zone isn't a designated area, but a collective of scattered locations between zones 1,2 and 3, areas where no population reside. Here, machines work automatically, from receiving orders to performing mass production or highly dangerous processes. The time unit here is implemented only within the IoT network of computers and machines, as the unit "i" is too small for human beings to perceive.

Conclusion

These objects; a clock which changes with the Sun, a device for exchanging time-units, a micro-alarm attached to the body, serves only one purpose, to stimulate imagination. However, in regions where the Sun is not visible and cannot be served as a reference for time, such as below the sea, in a cave, or on a space station, or other special regions such as places of anarchy, where the imagined worldview is contradicted, time, becomes a choice. We accept all possibilities. By proposing a "new reality", we hope to stimulate people to think and questions the reality now. We advocate the idea that beyond what we experience now, and more possibilities are awaiting to be discovered.

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Results Announced for Community Choice Prize See All Winners
  • Honoree

    Hsin-Ju Chuang

  • School

    National Taiwan University of Science and Technology

  • Category

    Speculative Design

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