9. Shake It Off: Useless Machine,
A Manifesto on Functional Absurdity
24 Fall, Harvard University. With Viola Tan, Kida Huang.
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Bruno Munari
"Functionality is not everything. Sometimes, it's the absurdity that makes us think deeper."
The Useless Machine challenges our assumptions about functionality and purpose. Designed as a table, it presents the illusion of utility—a surface meant to hold objects. Yet, in an ironic twist, it does the opposite: when something is placed upon it, the table detects the weight through force-sensitive resistors and promptly activates servo motors to shake the object off. It refuses to fulfill its implied purpose, embracing a defiant absurdity.
This machine is a useless holder, subverting expectations of stability and support. Its table-like form suggests utility, but its actual behavior rejects this role entirely, rendering it a paradox of design. It is also a useless balance, imitating the physical principle of equilibrium. However, instead of relying on the simplicity of a mechanical balance, it employs a system computing to mimic and disrupt this natural phenomenon, achieving the same result in a deliberately convoluted way.
The project integrates force-sensitive resistors, servo motors, and an Arduino Uno board to create this playful interaction. By doing so, the Useless Machine questions the value we assign to functionality, playfully critiquing overengineering in everyday objects. It is not just a commentary on design—it is a celebration of the whimsical, the unnecessary, and the joy of rethinking purpose.