TERRA is an unusual new navigational device. Shaped like a pebble and sized to fit snugly in one hand, it doesn't feature a screen, just a minimal visual interface showing either a compass arrow or petroglyph-like figures. Its purpose is distinct, too — getting people out for a mindful wander without apps or notifications distracting from their experience.
Every walk starts on a phone or computer, with the user stating how much time they have and what they'd like to see or do. For example, a three-hour tour of Chicago's public art with a slice of pizza along the way or a stroll through Berlin's Tiergarten, back home by 5 pm. With the help of Google Maps, a connected ChatGPT account translates the prompt into a series of GPS coordinates that are sent to TERRA but not shown to the user. Screens are left behind, and the adventure begins. The device guides the wanderer along an improvised path, gently nudging them with subtle haptic pulses as needed.
TERRA is the result of a collaboration between two studios operating at the intersection of digital and physical: Amsterdam-based Modem Works and Lausanne's Panter & Tourron. They made the entire product open-source, from its software code to its 3D-printable case; the device uses readily available hardware components costing around USD 100. Judging from responses on social media, people are eager to skip the DIY part and pay someone else to build them a TERRA ;-)
