hirotaka hatayama: trangram

‘trangram,’ designed by hirotaka hatayama, connects simple household appliances to the internet

‘trangram,’ created by japanese inventor hirotaka hatayama, is a system for wiring electrical devices through the internet, enabling not only their remote control but also the creation of new functions through the wireless connection of multiple components.

a more customizable adaptation of house automation, ‘trangram’ works with a range of both digital and analog devices, because the actual control mechanisms are all small add-on pieces of hardware. because all of the objects are connected to the internet, they can be easily controlled from any device with an internet connection, including smartphones.

‘trangram’ requires only small hardware circuits to connect analog and digital devices

one of the most basic advantages the project offers is the ability to turn lights, computers, and other devices on or off remotely from any distance. but the ‘trangram’ software also permits devices to interact with one another, or in tandem. an alarm clock’s ringing, recognized by a volume control sensor, could be programmed to set off a reaction in the ‘trangram’ system that also turns on the lights or adjusts the thermostat.

example of two objects in series

‘trangram’ is driven by a ‘sub router’ control piece that is connected to one’s internet router. once the ‘sub router’ is activated with the ‘trangram’ software, conducting a search for devices will generate a list of all nearby input and output parts (‘trangram I/O’) that can be added to one’s device list.

from the wiring editor software, all ‘trangram I/O’ parts are visible and can be arranged in series with another. relationships between objects are established by simply dragging and dropping wires between module icons. the icons can also be linked with logical operators to create more complex conditions for use.

the base component, or ‘sub router,’ at left is connected to the internet via a modem, enabling any of its connected devices to be controlled wirelessly

‘tangram’ permits the remote control of devices and their interactions from any device that connects to the internet, including smartphones

input sensors, like switches and volume controls, automatically send data to the trangram server when their state changes. output pieces like LEDs and motors change their status in response to messages from the server.

view of the wiring software interface

detail view of the basic ‘trangram io’ component

‘trangram IOs’ are designed for a range of input and output capacities, enabling precise control of a variety of devices

the video provides further detail on the project and shows ‘trangram’ in use

via gizmag