- The TV remote is replaced by labeled disks, and one simple action
- Toddlers can select shows without reading icons, tapping screens, or scrolling tiles
- Floppy disks limit options by design and reduce accidental content switching
Floppy disks were once a routine part of home computing, used to load software, save documents, and move data between machines.
They faded from daily use as optical discs, and later SSD-based storage replaced them for local file transfer, while cloud storage reduced the need for physical media altogether.
Developer Mads Chr. Olesen has repurposed floppy disks into a tangible selection system that allows his toddler to choose TV shows by inserting a disk into a drive.
Turning the show selection into a physical action
Olesen believes that “floppy disks are the best storage media ever invented,” and applies that belief to a child-friendly television control system.
The system, named FloppyDiskCast, describes the overall setup, although its function differs from that of traditional casting hardware.
It uses obsolete hardware to replace touch screens and multi-button remotes, and the disk functions as a physical selector rather than a storage device.
The television control setup assigns each floppy disk a specific program, removing the need for menus or scrolling interfaces.
Each disk features a visual label, making it clear which show will play once inserted, and when a child places a disk into the drive, that action alone determines what appears on the screen.
This reduces interaction to a single, repeatable motion that does not rely on reading or symbolic navigation.
The FloppyDiskCast system creates the impression that the show resides on the disk itself, even though playback occurs through a connected streaming device rather than a local hard drive.
That illusion mirrors how removable media once worked, where inserting an object directly produced visible results.
The system’s structure avoids the layered complexity found in many smart television setups, and Olesen’s approach reflects concern about how current smart television controls work for very young users.
Standard remotes and touch-based controls often combine advertisements, recommendations, and settings within the same interface.
For a toddler, this can introduce confusion rather than choice. The floppy-based system limits options by design, since only available disks can be selected.
This constraint encourages focused viewing and prevents accidental navigation into unrelated content.
Commentary around the project includes phrases such as “floppy disks are awesome,” although the practical emphasis remains on interaction design rather than nostalgia.
Although this project shows how constrained physical interfaces can reduce cognitive load, it does not address scalability beyond a limited number of shows.
This is unlikely to be an issue, as experts recommend limiting screen time to one hour per day for children aged 2 to 5 years.
Children between 18 months and 2 years are advised to have even less exposure, while babies under 18 months are generally advised to avoid screen time entirely, except for video chatting.
Via Tom’s Hardware
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