SlashGear

There have been quite a few sci-fi films where the skies are filled with drifting blimps and airships; despite their relatively low-tech nature, there’s still something other-worldly and futuristically graceful about them.  Which is probably why I’m so taken with Jed Berk’s Autonomous Light Air Vessels (ALAV) project, where a whole flock of blimps move and hover around a space with their behaviour influenced by people calling in on their cellphones.

Intended to demonstrate “the concept of connectivity among people, objects, and the environment”, by ringing either the group or a single ALAV and talking to it a voice recognition system defines various measures and behaviours that influence their movement through the air.  Individual ALAVs can act as shepherds or guard-dogs, while the others demonstrate their fear or comfort through lights, altitude and noise.

I’m trying to think of a real-world application, and while I’m sure there must be one I’m nonetheless having a little trouble; can anyone help me out?

ALAV Project Page [via Hacked Gadgets]