Creating Innovative Futures        

Weaving with Light

 

Can emerging technologies like nanotechnology be used to effect in remote Indigenous communities?  Dr Peter Binks of Nanotechnology Victoria and Dr Kristin Alford of Bridge8 believe that the Portable Light project is such an idea.

 

Portable Light is an initiative using textiles incorporating flexible photo-voltaics (solar cells) to harvest electrical energy from sunlight and provide stored light for up to 8 hours.  The Portable Light initiative was designed for the indigenous Huichol (Wirrárica) people in the remote areas of Mexico’s Sierra Madre.  Highly adaptable textile designs created by Sheila Kennedy and her Boston firm KVA MATx integrate ancient Mesoamerican weaving traditions with cutting edge nanotechnology in flexible thin film photo-voltaics and solid state lighting.  Sheila featured in a BBC World News interview discussing her prototypes and how they are adopted into the daily culture of the Wirrárica people.  Sheila visited Australia in April for the Weaving with Light symposium described below and also visited the Centre for Appropriate Technology and Indigenous communities around Alice Springs.

 

NanoVic and Bridge8 are currently investigating options for running a Portable Light project in Australia.  Please contact Bridge8 to inquire about this project.

 

Weaving with Light Symposium

 

 On Thursday 19th April 2007, Bridge 8, Nanotechnology Victoria, and the Equity Research Centre presented ‘Weaving with Light: Using Advanced Technology for Social Enterprise’.  This event built on a number of exciting technological and social programs to provide access and information about new technologies including nanotechnologies to socially disadvantaged groups who might otherwise be excluded from participating in the debate.

 

For more information on the symposium, see the FINAL PROGRAM, Flyer or download our press release.

 

Nanotechnology Victoria hosted Sheila Kennedy, Principal of Kennedy & Violich Architecture in Boston.  Ms Kennedy has an ongoing project entitled ‘Nomads and Nanomaterials’.  The project combines design, technology and social development to address the needs of the Huichol people in the Sierra Madre mountains of Mexico.  The Huichol people are nomadic and lack access to infrastructure for the provision of electricity and light.  This project has examined their need for light in conjunction with their traditional culture and practices, especially textile weaving.  This has resulted in the invention and integration of Portable Light (pictured with Huichol woman).

 

The recent visit by Sheila Kennedy of MATx for Weaving with Light was reported on ABC Online.  Or download Sheila's press release issued 10 April 2007.

 

Sheila Kennedy with Portable Light protoype at Weaving with Light and the prototypes with Indigenous community members outside Alice Springs (April 2007).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rhonda Appo of the Australian Flexible Learning Framework and Gawa e-learning champion Meredith Gurranggurrang also presented their expereinces a project titled 'Homeland micro e-business: e-learning on very remote Indigenous communities'.  This project is researching the application of information and communications technologies to address training and education needs of Indigenous Australians in remote areas.  In turn, the findings will support the development of micro-businesses in Arnhemland.  The picture shows Joanne and Peter at Gawa.

 

Dr Peter Binks, CEO of Nanotechnology Victoria and Dr Rob Sparrow of the Centre for Human Bioethics at Monash University both added to the discussion by exmaining the potential and associated issues of nanotechnologies.

 

Attendees were inspired by wearable technologies that were developed at the recent reSkin laboratory held by the Australian Art & Technology Network.  The use of new materials and electronics to transform art and design is perhaps another way of considering applications in Indigenous communities.

 

Note: An article on the symposium was published in the summer edition of Filter, the journal of the Australian Art & Technology Network launched at the reSkin WearNow Symposium.  To download a copy of the orginal article, click here.

 

Thank you to KPMG Melbourne for providing the venue and to the Koori Business Network for funding places.

 

 

 

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