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Dr. Herb Smokler teaches us how to husband and harvest Computational Wood. This mockumentary is the final installment of Matt Cottam’s Masters Thesis. The concept of Computational Wood evolved out of a workshop with Timo Arnall, Matt Jones, Jack Schulze, Adam Greenfield, and Lennart Andersson.

The Pairs swatches consist of 6 Ash dovetail joints with embedded electronics. Each of the six sets of Pin and Tail is identical (except in grain) in form and function–they differ only in the surface patina. Each Pair is treated in a unique way that gives it age and experience: one was put in the ocean for a month; one was divided between my wife and I–she wrote all over hers when she was missing me and I stained mine with tea and wine when I was away from her; one was chewed by our dog Bruno; one was distressed in a sandblaster; one was stained with iron and vinegar; and one was left perfect. The electronics allow the Pin and Tail of each dovetail to communicate wirelessly and by rechargable battery power. The halves chirp in patterns of call and response to each other when they are apart, they vibrate and chirp faster when they are near one another, and they are silent when connected.

Here I am putting a Pair (Ash dovetail joint with carcasses for electronics) into the ocean. I wrapped it in steel wire and bound it to a staircase at a dock in Newport, RI. Hoping for a naturally weathered patina.

Maia Garau shot the video and drove me home soaking wet.

In March of 2009 Timo Arnall, Lennart Andersson, Matt Cottam, Adam Greenfield, Matt Jones, Jack Schulze and Mikael Wiberg spent a day lecturing at “Spring Summit 09:Sensing and Sensuality” and another day ideating around Cottam’s Masters Thesis. At the end of the ideation workshop, Jack and Matt J. present the findings and ideas from the conversation and sketching. Timo shot the video and chimes in from behind the camera and Cottam makes an appearance at the end.