Pace Maker
Mixed Media, 1 Object 140/149/220, 3 C-Prints 600/450
2005
We increasingly submit ourselves voluntarily to the direct control of machines and technical systems, such as alarm clocks or traffic lights, which regulate our private and social lives. Sometimes, however, this control can be more enforced and can influence our behavior more directly. Voluntary submission under the control of machines can help us to attain or eliminate a specific behavior that we are unable to achieve on our own due to a lack of motivation or will. In this way, the machine becomes an external motivation device, similar to a personal trainer or coach, which not only encourages us but also prompts us to change our behavior.
The Pace Maker is a training device designed to enhance performance during extreme workouts. It consists of a facial mask with a valve and an embedded pedometer, which counts the number of steps within a specified time frame. The valve opens or closes depending on the user's stepping speed, which is set at the beginning of the training. If the speed is too slow, the device starts to suffocate the user, which then mobilizes all power reserves.
Credits
Concept and Design: Björn Franke
Photography: Jonas Unger
Model: Julijonas Urbonas
Exhibitions
Senza Pericolo! Costruzioni e sicurezza, Triennale di Milano Design Museum, Milan, Italy, May 3 – September
1, 2013.