Hotspot Bloom is a wearable flower that glows and changes color to indicate the signal strength of a nearby wireless network. The Hotspot Bloom allows you to detect WiFi hotspots around you in an eye catching way.
Karen Lee, a media artist investigating the convergence of wearable computing and wireless technologies, created the Hotspot Bloom during her thesis work for her graduation from Parsons School of Design.
This was back in 2004. I have done a lot of searching the last few days but could not find any newer information about the Hotspot Bloom – many of the referral links are broken. No details on how this could be build (if there were any at that time) except that a full-color-spectrum LED controlled by PIC (microcontroller) monitors the location for wireless access points.
The Hotspot Bloom will glow in relation to the strength of a WiFi signal nearby, for example red for full strength going over green to orange for a medium signal and blue for a low signal.
The Hotspot Bloom is a brilliant idea that would deserve to be elevated to product level. In a time where everyone is always or wants to be always online, this idea from Karen Lee is just the cute accessory we have been waiting for.
