14 DAY TRIAL // Floating messages, be they relayed through the air or the seas, or rivers and oceans, have been in use for a long, long time, but they have mostly been sidelined by radio, satellite connections and the Internet.
That didn't stop a Swiss designer by the name of David Colombini from creating a contraption based on that concept though. Indeed, he seems quite enthused by the idea.
In truth, the man showed his fascination with floating correspondence when he was a kid, but what he just revealed is a few steps above normal school science projects. Essentially, he has launched a project that allows anyone to send a message out via a balloon.
How the whole thing works
It's actually not that complicated. A person accesses a certain website and inputs a message, which can take the form of text, images or videos.
Though we don't think images and videos are meant literally. You're probably expected to provide a direct web link to them instead, nothing more.
In any event, the message you put in will be inserted into a tube made of biopolymer material. Said tube is then attached to a balloon and sent out into the world.
Eventually, the biodegradable balloon will either reach someone or pop on the way, allowing the tethered message to fall someplace, where someone might eventually stumble upon it.
The interesting part is that everything is done automatically, by a machine directly connected to the website we mentioned. Or almost everything. It can carry out the whole process except for rolling the paper and tying off the balloon.
All in all, it's an interesting enough means to “take a stand against the current use of smart technologies” by using a more “poetic concept.”
Eventually, the rig will be fully automatic and used in museums, festivals, galleries, amusement parks, and basically any other major public event.
The catch
It's pretty simple: you can't send any messages yet, because the project is still in development. David Colombini needs to finish up the automation process, as we said above. At least you don't need to do anything anymore to ensure the project does get off the ground. There was a crowdfunding campaign on wemakeit.ch until a while ago, and it raised all the money Colombini required, so you could say it closed successfully.
The video below is a short introduction and demonstration of the “Attachment” concept and how everything is supposed to go.