TECHTILE+TOIO is a toolkit exploration design process part of my research at Keio Media Design.
The idea was to develop an external remote organ capable to transmit haptic informations to our actual body, delivering an embodiment feeling capable to expand our understanding of our self.
The idea was to develop an external remote organ capable to transmit haptic informations to our actual body, delivering an embodiment feeling capable to expand our understanding of our self.
Early stage prototyping, testing different microphones and controlling systems.
The project connect robotic consumer products and toolkit developing technologies to create a simple, but broad ideation field mixing two areas of human-computer interaction: robotic avatars and haptic feedback.
The prototype is part of a research exploring the limits of body and its core concept, including intersectional approach, body materiality, social choreography, exploratory design and calm technologies. I discuss further related topics on another project called "hands".
1. Microphone as a haptic sensor; 2. Toio with self move programming;
3. Techtile toolkit amplifier; 4 .The tactile vibrator in a hollow sphere.
3. Techtile toolkit amplifier; 4 .The tactile vibrator in a hollow sphere.
With this prototype I wanted to explore the basics of Mark Weiser perspective on daily usage tool development. In 1996 he wrote a need to be achieved by the human-computer interaction community that we are still very far from it: "a calm technology will move easily from the periphery of our attention, to the center, and back.(...) centering the periphery is a fundamental enabler of calm through increased awareness and power."
Using the robot avatar doing square-shape path moves, we investigate what user can understand from it asking them to draw what they are feeling from the device.
The project development is happening under two other projects: hands and haptic toio games.
