Erik Contreras: Former Futures

Erik Contreras

The designer, Erik Contreras, at his office of hacked objects.

Future Function

Obsolete Tech Extended

Exhibition Overview

As consumer electronic products reach the end of their lifespan (either through obsolescence or disrepair), their benefits, as products, start to become a burden, as waste. For many electronic products, this label as e-waste has them shipped to developing countries where they are burned for valuable raw materials; harming the environment in turn.

To make matters worse, major corporations make it difficult for users to prolong the lifespan of their products by incorporating elements of planned obsolescence (i.e. using proprietary hardware and software, using non-modular design) with the hopes that users will be forced to purchase the newest iteration of their product. This practice has turned into a power struggle between producer and consumer. Many of these major companies (i.e. John Deere, Apple) have been fighting against Right to Repair legislation that would prevent them from incorporating planned obsolescence into their future products.

The following work explores the process of extending the lifespan of obsolete technology by incorporating modern functionality through the use of rapid prototyping (3D printing, laser cutting) and hacking with open source hardware (Arduino Uno, Teensy 2.0 microcontroller boards).

The designer, Erik Contreras, hopes the lessons from this work will be part of a greater product design approach where the users can extend the lifespan of their product through modification based around  future functionality. By helping the user to make these modifications, Erik hopes this would also shift the power dynamic between the producer and consumer.

Each of the prototypes in the collection have been salvaged from local dump sites around Davis, CA and modified based on the design principles previously stated. The modifications range from using adapters, leaving the obsolete tech untouched, to removing the electronics and using the empty enclosure to house modern, open source, technology.

Bio

Erik Contreras is a multidisciplinary designer with a background in manufacturing methods and mechanical engineering. His works ask the question “what does it mean to extend the lifespan of technology”?  A lot of his motivation comes from growing up in the Silicon Valley where “disruption” is a key mantra to product development. During his graduate studies at UC Davis, Erik is working towards an MFA in Design and MS in Mechanical Engineering. He hopes to start a career in industrial design and create products that would help facilitate repair and modification for the user.

WebCam(corder): A Sony Hi8 Handycam camcorder that can be used as a webcam. This exercise was to explore off-the-shelf hacks through the use of adapters. While this piece is fully functional, the hack was expensive and used proprietary software; two aspects that should be avoided in user friendly designs. Image: Manetti Shrem Museum and Cleber Bonato.
An Apple Keyboard II with a DIY ADB (Apple Desktop Bus) to USB adapter made from a Teensy 2.0 (an open-source microcontroller). Image: Manetti Shrem Museum and Cleber Bonato.
Office of hacked objects under blacklight at the Manetti Shrem Museum. Image: Manetti Shrem Museum and Cleber Bonato.
Office of hacked objects at the Manetti Shrem Museum. Image: Manetti Shrem Museum and Cleber Bonato.
The designer, Erik Contreras, at his office of hacked objects.
Red Office Lamp: Originally found without a base at a dump site, a new one was made using 5 pound weights and a 3D-printed connector.
SteelCase Desk: Restoration of an abandoned, mid-century, metal desk. The 3D printed drawer pulls were inspired by the inductor component symbol used in electronic schematics.
Echo Answering Machine: An Amazon Echo Dot housed inside of a cassette-based Panasonic answering machine from the early 1980’s. This prototype was an exploration of product identity. Does obsolete tech still maintain its identity when the original electronics are removed and its purpose is changed completely?
Norwgian Håg Office Chair: Restoration of a 1980’s office chair.
Pictured are the items from the “office of hack objects” on a hacking gradient. “Soft Hacking” involves: 1) maintaining the original hardware, and 2) using adapters to modify its function. “Hard Hacking” involves: 1) removing the original hardware, and 2) radically changing the functionality of the object. In both cases, the original aesthetics of the object are maintained.
Arduino AutoType: A Smith Corona Mark VI daisy wheel typewriter from the early 1990’s that has been hacked to print out text documents via a USB interface. This item is compatible with current-day operating systems such as Windows 10 and MacOS 10. A controller module, being driven by an Arduino Uno, was used to facilitate the interaction.