Meta-prosthesis
‘Meta-prosthesis’ explores the potential of synthesising the natural and artificial to increase the performance of environmental design. Through capitalising on the formal and compositional expressions derived from animalistic attributes, the performance of materials and environment can be enhanced. The project for a theraputic centre has a highly-articulated envelope which is achieved by manipulating the geometry, from the microscale to the macro. This includes: material typology, texture typology, surface typology and building typology. The resultant patterns are informed, generated and tested through computational algorithms and scientific understanding to satisfy different programmatic criteria, regulating the environment.
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Time Conditioning
No seu projeto, tempo é reduzido a um parâmetro que pode ser modulável enquanto dissocia o cérebro do resto da experiência corporal. Em “Time Conditioning”, Raktoniaina cria uma prótese para treinar o braço a operar à velocidade de uma mosca. Enquanto isso supõe uma aceleração dos reflexos, o resultado é o oposto, e os neurônios musculares têm uma experiência em slow motion, fazendo com que corpo e mente experienciem o tempo em dois intervalos diferentes.

Aposema:Responsive Facial Prosthesis
In an age of emotion recognition algorithms and augmented realities, our overuse of personal devices and social media, has led to a society where people increasingly choose technological alternatives to meaningful in-person interaction. Our ability to read facial expressions is severely reduced, limiting our capacity to develop relationships and leaving us struggling to empathize.

Jacobson’s Fabulous Olfactometer
Created by Susanna Hertrich, Jacobson’s Fabulous Olfactometer (JFO) is a sensorial prosthesis that mimics mammalian ‘flehmen’ when air pollution levels are high. The prosthetic is designed around a new human sense modeled after a mammalian sense organ called the vomeronasal or “Jacobson’s” organ. This olfactory sense organ enables certain animals to sense odourless chemicals. When a mammal senses chemicals, it lifts its upper lip to expose this organ. This behaviour is called ‘flehmen’ (wikipedia).Two air chemical sensors located at the top part of the prosthetic register small particles (smoke) and CO2 levels. This data is fed into an Arduino board. When air pollution levels are registered as ‘high’, two stepper motors on either side of the head set exaggerated bone gears in motion and the wearer’s lip is slowly pulled upwards. Thus, JFO enables its wearer to ‘sense’ airborne chemicals and modifies his/her face similar to mammalian flehmen.Sensing and data processing is achieved using an Arduino with a Smoke detector (fine particles) & a Co2 sensor. The device also includes Adafruit stepper motor shield, two stepper motors and a custom designed gears carved from camel bone.

Natural Prosthesis