10/20/2003: Tholos project

[Undertoad]

My greatest fascination in life is the clash of society and technology, and how technology is changing how we live with each other and how it brings us together.

Here's a concept that really represents all that in a big way. It's called the Tholos, named after an ancient Roman structure.

It's just in the concept phase now, but it could happen. It's a round building, 10 feet high and 23 feet wide. On the building is a high-res display and there are directional microphones and speakers all around. Each Tholos is networked to a remote identical Tholos in a different location, and everything that happens at the remote Tholos is displayed in real time at the local one.

So the London Tholos would be connected to the Vienna Tholos, and you in London could actually walk up to people in Vienna and speak with them directly and semi-privately.



It's to be advertising-supported, and the people behind it are looking to expand the idea to many other locations as well.

It's meant to be an attraction, not a tool to accomplish things; on the other hand, who knows what this sort of thing could generate?

I want one! Unfortunately they're about L1.4M ($2.5 M).

full story

project website