Door, Connected

In 2009 Philips Research organized the Philips Creative Challenge: “This challenge is set up around the theme ‘hospitality’ to explore and showcase exceptional design ideas. The PCC offers the opportunity for design education and industry to share and discuss their views on relevant themes within the field of Industrial Design.”
The DoorM concept lowers the threshold for CitizenM hotel guests to visit the shared living rooms, by triggering their curiosity through interactive spy holes; offering an abstract overview of these living rooms and activity, via blurred video and dampened sound. Furthermore, DoorM showcases suitable living rooms based on your preferences, as controlled via the universal remote included with each room.

The Product

Citizen M

Citizen M is a new hotel concept which focuses on a new type of travellers: modern individuals. These explorers, culture-seekers, professionals and shoppers seek affordable luxury. Citizen M houses small yet luxurious interactive rooms tailored by Philips. The downstairs lobby has numerous extravagant spaces where people can sociale, work and have business meetings.

Lowering the Threshold

The opportunity investigated for this challenge is lowering the threshold of the hotel room door. With guests being unaware of the activities in the lobby living rooms, they are hesitant to go there. The DoorM concept jumps in by offering interactive spy holes.

Functionalities

The door consists of 6 spy holes. The center spy hole still holds the same functionality of offering an overview of the hallway. The 5 other holes are digitally linked to the 5 different social spaces downstairs.

Connection and Interaction

Whenever the cameras downstairs meassure activity in one of the spaces it is represented by light shining out of the matching spy hole (as seen in the lower right corner of the above image). This small light first tries to lower the threshold for approaching the door. As soon as a guest closes in on the spy hole, the light turns off. Through the spy hole the guest will see a blurred image of the coherent space. Also, as soon as the door notices the guest standing in front of a spy hole, dampened audio from the according space is amplified throughout the door. The entire experience acts as a metaphor for the activity being just behind the door.

Philips Pronto

In offering more functionality, DoorM ties in with the included Philips Pronto. This universal remote already controls everything ranging from the multi-colored lights and temperature to the blinds and TV. The remote comes prefit with a selection of preferences which adapt everything to your liking. If you, for example, select a ‘work preference,’ the room is brightly lit. DoorM is linked to these preferences and offers a matching space to your liking. This space is marked by a glowing light ring outside the spy hole.

The Video

Below you can see a short one-minute movie where the fully working prototype is showcased. In this scenario the guest selects a business preference, but is unable to cope with his large amount of papers. DoorM showcases an empty work space for him, and he is triggered to leave his room to relocate to a better suited environment.

The Project Team

DoorM is a collaboration of: Guust Hilte, Willem Knijnenburg, Loes Smits, Stefan Zwegers and Jan van der Asdonk.

Stats

completed in: May, 2009
time spent on project: 6 hospitable weeks
stakeholders: CitizenM, Philips Creative Challenge and Department of Industrial Design