Carlo Ratti: Cloud Cast

Italian architect Carlo Ratti has created an interactive installation called Cloud Cast that uses motion-tracking technology to cool the air around passersby. The ceiling-mounted cylinders are positioned in a grid pattern, and spray jets of mist when triggered by ultrasonic sensors.

Presented in the United Arab Emirates, the design is based on the evaporative cooling method, often used in desert climates, that provides cool air through the evaporation of mist. However, this is a more energy-efficient model, as rather than spraying mist continuously, the jets are only activated when someone walks underneath the sensor.

The design is aimed specifically at hot dry climates, such as Dubai, where the heat is often intolerable and cooling systems such as these are essential. For more on efficient systems and products for health and environment, see Product Defence: Enhancing Wellness.

For more on the increase of interactivity and impermanence in art and design, see Exploring Ephemerality.