'flora' digital flower vase by yoshiki matsuyama 'FUJITSU design award 2011' competition shortlisted entry

‘flora’ digital flower vase concept by yoshiki matsuyama

‘flora’ a digital flower vase concept by japanese designer yoshiki matsuyama, provides a way to share flowers and greetings virtually across geographical distance. a flower placed in any one vase can be sent to the ‘flora’ vase of another, creating a virtual, self-updating representation of the gift via a 3D scanning camera and projector.

the flower to be sent via ‘flora’ can be either a physical flower or a photograph, from which the device will construct a three-dimensional digital representation. once linked, the recipient vase will regularly update the image from the sender, so that the real and digital flowers will open, close, and wilt with one another.

a personalized message, as either text or video, can be sent along with the gift. the illumination light at the device’s base may also be customized in colour.

matsuyama’s concept was shortlisted from over 1000 designs in our recent designboom competition ‘a life with future computing‘, organized in collaboration with FUJITSU.

concept illustration of the ‘flora’ vase in use

concept diagram

left: the confirmation screen for sending the flower to a particular destination responds to touch input right: both real flowers and photographs may be sent, alongside text

a 3D scanner and projector provide the technology for the device

— those wishing to republish an excerpt of this article, please have the courtesy to link back to this original article, and to mention that the project was designed for the ‘FUJITSU design award: a life with future computing’ competition, organized by designboom in collaboration with FUJITSU. thank you.