Aesthetics Stimulated by Technology

Morooka: First, we were able to generate electricity by painting a picture on glass, so what's next? In our next brainstorming session, we considered how to use this idea to increase the appeal of the technology. Although there were proposals for a foldong screen and other items, we finally decided on this solar powered lantern. Oh, what was it that Ms. Kimura said? "I think it should have texture, and the feeling of being an object."
Kimura: Right. It should be an object with atmosphere.
The lantern, which its gentle light, is expressive and emotive. The lantern exudes an air of naturalness from its very presence, which I thought would match the characteristics of the dye-sensitized solar cell. It would catch sunlight or ambient room lighting and generate electricity, and then emit light at night using that electric power. And when people go to sleep, it would turn off by itself. Through the process of the brainstorming sessions, I came to really want to adopt this concept of natural coexistence with people.
Miki: That idea really grew!
Morooka: If you take a closer look at this picture, you see that the pictures connect to one another seamlessly when the panels are put together. But perhaps Ms. Miki can explain that better than I can.
Miki: No, you're doing fine. Please, continue.
Morooka: You wanted to have some sort of continuity of the pictures projected onto the surface the lantern is on, right?
Miki: Yes, that's right. I also started with the idea of tiling, and wondering if there was something that could be done with these panels lined up together. Wouldn't it be interesting if they all formed a connected pattern and in that state could generate electricity? Also people tend to have the image of solar panels as thick , black panels mounted on rooftops. These solar cells are not like that, but rather can be placed casually in interior settings; the lantern encourages you to use them in your interior spaces. As a result, what became our long term theme was that it would be an item that fits in with interiors, and that could be used flexibly as a unit.
Morooka: I suppose it's because I have an engineering background, but I find the concept of a picture that can go on infinitely like a fractal to be appealing, and can understand it. However, when we first heard the requirement that the panels be frameless, we saw it as a headache. We stayed late at the office and agonized over it. We came up with a lot of ideas, but due to the need for space for the frame wires and the strength, the frameless concept seemed unreasonable at that point. OK, if that's unreasonable, how about 1.5 mm? But it turned out not to work. OK, at the very least give us 3 mm (the current state) to work with. Please...
Miki: We certainly had a few clashes. We once spent two hours just discussing this
issue.
Morooka: There were several other difficult issues that also raised their heads. The layered coating issue she mentioned previously was one. We were asked to position each layer with a 0.1 mm accuracy. That was really hard. However, it was not completely impossible. That made us want to try and achieve it. When engineers from other companies see this prototype, they quickly realize the heights of the walls we had to get over. They say "This is something only Sony could do."

Lifestyles which Technology can Blend into

Kimura: A major point that makes this technology inspiring to me as a designer is that something, that has design characteristics of its own like stained glass, can itself generate electricity. Design does not have to be sacrificed for the function.
I think in that purity and honesty lies the possibility to change the way the world looks.
Suzuki: A large part of the cost of solar cells, including silicon solar cells, lies in the glass used. For this reason, if the glass can have design value as well, it could have a large impact in increasing the use of the panels. Also, when dye-sensitized solar cells are used to power mobile devices, those devices must be taken out and placed in the sun. In creating such a culture, collaborations with designers will be necessary. As these devices get closer to actual use, the number of constraints on them will increase even further, so we will need the support from you designers even more.
Kimura: I think our role as designers is not limited to just the design aspects, but also includes viewing technologies from the standpoint of everyday living and proposing lifestyles that incorporate those technologies. Therefore I hope that we can continue to have such mutually stimulating relationships with engineers in the future.
Morooka: Yes, I hope we can inspire and enhance each other's ability through further collaboration.
Miki: I feel that I have grown through my experience in this project, and I am thankful to have had the chance to participate. I would like to work on even higher level issues together for the next step.