---

TOP NEWS

• TEI '09, Cambridge UK (Feb. 16-18 2009)
  Pileus was demonstrated at TEI '09 (Tangible and Embedded Interaction 2009). Here is a photoset taken by Pileus during the demo.
  
  
• Le NetExplorateur 100 (Feb. 5 2009)
  Pileus was selected to The NetExplorater 100: a global selection of the most promising initiatives in digital culture.
  
  

---

PILEUS: Internet Umbrella

Pileus is an interactive medium of an umbrella to make city exploring fun. Pileus has a big screen on its inside surface, and a camera and embedded sensors on its grip. Then it provides natural embodied interaction with web services to make city walking more interactive.

The current prototype has two main functions: photo-sharing and 3D map navigation. The photo-sharing function is connected to Flickr, then a user can share their finding (e.g. new shops, beautiful scenes) in a city with his/her friends taking a picture by the camera. The screen also shows beautiful photo-streams retrieved from shared-pictures in a Flickr community. The photo-function is operated by a simple action on the umbrella with a motion sensor without any comprecated operations.


Fig: Flickr photo stream on Pileus

The user also can switch the service to a map. Pileus automatically detects user's location and shows bird-eyes view of a map around to give a sense of the place in mixed reality. The map is automatically updated by user's position by GPS and a digital compass.


Fig: 3D map on Pileus

Now these two functions can be switched by simply fliping a switch. The functions are combined as a location-based application, and connected to web services. The product aims to provide an augmentation for everyday life connecting information on the Internet and the real place.

---

SCENARIO

The design process of Pileus is taking an approach of ethnography. The concept is drawn on an scenario to enhance our urban experiences with the interactive umbrella.


Fig: Scenario (2006)

---

PROTOTYPES

The design is gradually updated by a lot of prototype experiments. Followings are collections of prototypes.

3gen

The 3gen prototype is build on a light-weight short body. It is consisted from a mobile projector, an embedded camera, Flickr API, a map application, 3D Accelerometer, GPS, Digital Compass, 3G HSDPA Connection


Fig: 3gen ver.2 (2008 - 2009) [via Campus Party Valencia's Flickr]


Fig: 3gen prototype ver.1 (2007 - 2008)

2gen

The 2gen prototype has a clear long body, connected to Flickr and Map Application (Google Earth enabled), and PHS wiress Internet connection.


Fig: 2gen Prototype (2007)

1gen

The 1gen prototype was only photo-sharing enabled. Most of interactive functions are already implemented, but the projector was still wired to the power because of a technical difficulty.


Fig: 1gen (2006 - 2007)

Proto-Prototype

These are some rapid-prototypes during an concept creation in the very early stage of the design.


Fig: Rapid Protypes (early 2006)

---

VIDEO

Vid: Experiments in Shibuya (. )

Vid: photo-scrolling (left) and map-scrolling (right)

---

MEANING of "PILEUS"

The project uses the word "Pileus" for it's name.

"Pileus" is an ancient Latin word originally meaning skullcap, and now used in English as two technical words; a cloud that appear above a cumulus at meteorology [1] and a cap of mushrooms at mycology [2] . The project uses this word for double-meaning of metophers as a cyber network service (overlaid cloud) and a physical umbrella (mushroom cap). The brand envisions the new type of products which is constructed on a hybrid system of physical interaction and social web interaction.


Fig: origin of the name.

---

PILEUS LLC

The project has been satrted at a workshop of Keio University SFC, Media Design Program, Okude Lab in March 2006. In December 2006, Pileus LLC was built as a spin-off of the university research. The prototype of Pileus has been introduced on educational, art, and science events world-widely. Pileus LLC is running praxis as a social enterprize to find a way to apply an innovation design into society. We are open for offers for collborations and demonstrations. Please contact us for more detail.

Members

Takashi Matsumoto, Ph.D

Co-Founder,

Takashi Matsumoto is a media designer. His special field is a design of Social Interaction bridging tangible objects, real-world experiences, and network services. He has been designing unique digital gadgets to give new experiences in urban life with tangible operations of information.
He earned his Ph.D in Media and Governance from Keio University SFC Media Design Program (Mar. 2008). He earned his master's degree in Media and Governance (Sept. 2005) and BA in Environmental Information (Sept. 2003) from Keio University with summa cum laude. He worked for internships at PARC (Palo Alto Research Center) in 2007 and FXPAL (FX Palo Alto Laboratory) in 2004 - 2005. More information on www.pileus.net/matsumoto and on an interview by we-make-money-not-art.com.

Sho Hashimoto

Co-Founder,

Sho Hashimoto is a master's student of Keio University Okude Lab. He is mainly building an architecture of the system and developing Pileus' software and network. He is one of the most tech-geek in the university lab. His another work "Teleshadow" has been selected for IPA Mitoh Youth, which is a highly-talented project selected by a Japanese governmetal agency. He has also made several software applications which has been introduced at a major japanese news paper. See his blog to know his background.

Contact Us

Pileus合同会社 (Pileus LLC)
Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan

VoIP: +81.(0)50.5539.8199
Mail: info (at) pileus.net

---

ACTIVITIES

Award and Prize

Prix de l'innovation at Laval Virtual: the Europe's largest VR festival.

"Prix de l'innovation"
T. Matsumoto, S. Hashimoto "Pileus: The Internet Umbrella" Laval Virtual 2007 Award, Laval Virtual 2007, Laval France, April 2007

"The 2nd Prize of Demo Session"
S. Hashimoto, T. Matsumoto, N. Okude "Pileus: Umbrella for Mobile Augmented Reality", Mobile HCI 2007 Demo, Singapore, Sept. 2007.

Academic Publications

T. Matsumoto, and S. Hashimoto, "Pileus Internet Umbrella: Tangible Mobile Interface of A Lovely Umbrella", Proc. of Third International Conference on Tangible and Embedded Interaction (TEI '09), Demo. Cambridge, UK. Feb. 2009.

T. Matsumoto, S. Hashimoto, and N. Okude. "The embodied Web: embodied Web-services interaction with an umbrella for augmented city experiences." Computer Animation and Virtual Worlds. 19.1 (2008): 49-66. Wiley InterScience

T. Matsumoto, S. Hashimoto, N. Okude "Pileus The Internet-Ready Umbrella: Full-Embodied Web in A Real Space", Mobility Conference 2007, Singapore, Sept. 2007.

S. Hashimoto, T. Matsumoto, N. Okude "Pileus: Umbrella Type Entertainment Browser" ACM ACE 2007 Poster, Salzburg Austria, June 2007.

S. Hashimoto, S. Iwata, T. Matsumoto, A. Tomatsu, N. Kubota, N. Okude. "Pileus: The Umbrella Photo Browser to Relay Experiences in Rainy Days" UbiComp 2006 Demo, UCI Orange County, September 2006

Exhibitions

Media