Dead Wringer
2006
The Dead Wringer is a stuffed animal that a user symbolically “murders” to deal with rage, anger, or severe frustration. The device tries to walk the line between creepy and cathartic, in order to provoke the user into reflecting on the nature of their rage and their emotion. Ideally, the user should find that the interaction itself is intrinsically fun and rewarding, as well as finding themselves deeply disturbed that they think so. Inside of the stuffed animal's neck is a custom built analog pressure sensor that sends values to an arduino-based microcontroller platform.
By making something that is intentionally morally ambiguous, a space is opened for user interpretation. He or she is able to build personal experience into the device, as well as reflect on the nature of the experience and the emotion that inspired it. Hopefully, Dead Wringer will allow a relatively healthy outlet for rage and anger as well as offering a space to reflect on the nature of those emotions.
With Andy Doro, Sonia Nelson, and Filepe Ribeiro
