When Technology Has Invisible Hands: Designing Wearable Technologies for Haptic Communication of Emotions

Abstract

In face-to-face communication, touch can establish intimacy, and therefore the presence of tactile stimulation can enhance the interpersonal relationships. While human-human interaction has been shifting from face-to-face physical conversations to electronically mediated form of communication, current technologies are not able to provide a multimodal sensorial experience that can support haptic interaction besides visual and auditory. Within the haptic research fields, affective haptics explore emotional interaction and perception mediated via touch that is simulated by technology. Besides, wearable technology and tangible interfaces can be employed as a solution to bridge the gap between the digital and physical worlds by making the body fully engaged with the interaction. This paper presents findings of a design practice that explores the avenues of affective tactile interaction through wearable technology, which can artificially produce tactile stimulations as medium for instant communication between two people. The findings are presented by the light of theoretical background, observations and analysis of the design practice.