People see, animals see, even lowly flatworms can see... so why not things! Why not buildings? Why not desks? Why not your shoes? Shouldn't your shoes be at least as aware of the world as a lowly flatworm? We live in an exciting time. Cars are studded with cameras. Buildings are shot through with sensors. What to do with all that data? We make the world sensitive, and now we need to make it perceptive as well, and helpful, enlightening, alive!