Tag: Abacus

1700 – Wearable Abacus from the Qing Dynasty

A functioning abacus ring from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912), exhibited at the Cheng Dawei Abacus Museum in Huangshan City, China. Steve Mann mentions it as an early form of wearable "computer": Here is a "computer" (an abacus) and since it is a piece of jewelry (a ring), it is wearable. Such devices have existed for centuries, but do not successfully embody Humanistic Intelligence. In particular, because the abacus is task-specific, it does not give rise to what we generally mean by "wearable […]

Added by: Samuel Huron. Category: Other  Tags: abacus, computing, wearables, data jewellery


2008 – Diary of Happiness

Diary of happiness was a large-scale installation created by Jean-Michel Othoniel for his solo show in Miami in 2008. Jean-Michel Othoniel’s solo show in Miami features a large-scale installation entitled Diary of Happiness: a gigantic abacus measuring 2.20 m high by 4.50 m long, with each Murano glass bead representing a day of the year. Created for the occasion, this work is intended to slow down time by counting down the days like a rosary. It is also a questioning of lost paradises […]

Added by: Lubaki E. Category: Interactive installation  Tags: abacus, happiness