Date of Award
Spring 5-22-2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Industrial Design
Department
Industrial Design
First Advisor
Beth Mosher
Second Advisor
Megan McLarney
Third Advisor
Saloni Bedi
Abstract
Our everyday environments are filled with functional objects that remain emotionally and perceptually invisible until they are needed. For those who experience fragmented attention, a trait central to , static objects frequently vanish from awareness once outside our focus. But what if static objects were no longer passive tools, and instead active participants in our domestic environments?
Inspired by this inquiry, my work animates the inanimate, using a lamp as a medium to investigate how motion can transform utility into a perceptive companion. Through this exploration, I examine the potential for a new behavioral interaction between humans and their belongings, using iterative mechanical prototyping and behavioral design. My thesis examines how movement can reclaim attention, provide understanding, empathy, and cognition while ultimately redefining the relationship between the human mind and material world.
Recommended Citation
Chiu, Yu Ting, "Objects With Life" (2026). Masters Theses. 1564.
https://digitalcommons.risd.edu/masterstheses/1564
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.