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Mobile Haptic Technology Development Through Artistic
Exploration
David Cuartielles, Andreas Göransson, Tony Olsson, and Ståle Stenslie
Medea, Malmö University, Sweden
david.cuartielles@mah.se
K3 - Malmö University, Sweden
{andreas.goransson, tony.olsson}@mah.se
Faculty of Humanities, Aalborg University, Denmark
stenslie@hum.aau.dk
Abstract. This paper investigates how artistic explorations can be useful for the
development of mobile haptic technology. It presents an alternative framework
of design for wearable haptics that contributes to the building of haptic commu-
nities outside specialized research contexts. The paper also presents our various
wearable haptic systems for mobile computing capable of producing high-order
tactile percepts. Our practice based approach suggests a design framework that
can be applied to create advanced haptic stimulations/situations for physically
embodied interaction in real-world settings.
Keywords: Applied haptics, wearables, bodysuit, haptic and embodied interac-
tion, haptic resolution, Arduino, Android, mobile haptic systems, online haptics
editor.
1 Introduction
This paper presents several of our artistic developments using mobile haptic technol-
ogy with multiple tactile outputs (16+). These represent low cost, open-source haptic
systems that use off the shelf components. Our approach intends to act as toolsets for
designers working with haptic systems that create emotional and immersive haptic
experiences. Rather than developing customized systems aimed at specific tasks or
purposes we have made a set of “modules” that are tied together with a shared com-
munication protocol. This approach allows for quick high-fidelity prototype develop-
ment and faster, simplified iterations of the design. Since our projects are primarily
based on standard components, they can be developed at a low start-up cost and prop-
agate reusability.
Our projects have progressed in a chain of iterated design processes where the
hardware and the conceptual components have affected each other. The conceptual
content part of the system is based on an experimental media art approach where the
goal is to create a multisensory, immersive and embodied experience system centered
on an open exploration of a poetics of touch. The term embodiment is here understood
as a combination of both a physical presence in the world and a social embedding in a
web of practices and purposes [1]. The resulting systems have been successfully tried
at several usability tests during public art events in Norway, Sweden, Denmark and
Slovenia.
1.1 Haptic Systems History
In history the concept of haptic communication through cutaneous touch can be traced
back to Giovanni Battista della Porta who in 1558 described the sympathetic tele-
graph [2]. His proposal was to use magnetism to send and receive the same message
over distance, encrypting and decrypting messages by tapping on to the body of two
users. This rather imaginative device has never been built, but the concept represents
an interesting first approach towards personal, direct and embodied corporal connec-
tivity.
Other early concepts involving touch was Edison’s ‘Telephonoscope’ [3] which
preconceived a telepresence system much like the later videoconferencing systems of
today. An important inspiration for telepresence is the notion of being present at the
other end of the communication line, as if one was physically present, sensing and
interacting with one’s own body.
One early important work on tactile interface technology was Bach-y-Rita’s first
‘tactile display’ built in the 1960s [4]. A 20-by-20 array of metal rods in the back of
chair were wired to act as the pixels of a screen and functioned much like an electron-
ic Braille writer continuously raising and lowering ‘dots’ recognizable by the tactile
senses. With this tactile display people sitting in the chairs could identify ‘pictures’ as
they were poked into their backs. In effect this demonstrates cross modal perception,
allowing us to see images with our sense of touch [5].
Creating a sense of tactile immersion through tactile manipulation of the senses is
still difficult to invoke. Current haptic systems within areas such as telemedicine,
telerobotics, CAD/CAM and virtual reality are primarily desktop based using tech-
nologies such as the PHANToM
1
(Personal HAptic iNTerface Mechanism) [5] and
haptic gloves [6]. Most haptic interaction systems are based on a desktop paradigm
[7]. This also goes for high resolution wearable displays such as the Tactile Torso
Displays [8]. In our world of emerging smartphone- and mobile computing for users
on the move, we foresee the need of wearable systems with a higher degree of mobili-
ty.
1.2 Towards Mobile and Wearable Haptic Systems
Today there exist no standard or commercially available systems for complex, high
resolution haptic interfaces dedicated to mobile and wearable use. At the same time
users are adapting to simple haptic systems such as vibrating screens and mobile
phones, indicating both the growing need and possibility for somatosensory and hap-
tic systems in communications and experience design. In later years wearable compu-
ting has become an extension of ubiquitous computing. This post-desktop, user-
1
http://www.sensable.com/products-haptic-devices.htm accessed on June 7, 2012.
centric paradigm of human-computer-interaction focuses on embedding computation-
al power seamlessly in everyday objects [9]. York also refers to it as machine fitting
into the human environment [10]. By fitting haptic technology onto and into our bod-
ies we can provide mobile users with information that was previously unavailable
[11], one example being site-specific information and sensing related to users position
(GPS) and orientation. For example the ‘FeelSpace’ belt enables its user to feel
his/her orientation in space via vibrotactile stimulation [12]. Such wearable systems
are within a wearer’s intimacy zone and therefore also have the potential to provide
novel and highly expressive forms of interactions. An early example of wearable,
haptic bodysuits, albeit attached to desktop computers, is the ‘cyberSM’ system from
1993 [13] that connects two users over the internet allowing them to see, hear and
touch each other.
One of the first mobile and telehaptic art projects was the ‘Mobile Feelings’ project
(2002-03) by Christa Sommerer & Laurent Mignonneau [14]. Here two users each
held an egg shaped communication interface that let the users exchange heartbeats.
The haptic effect was created with only one vibratory output, but still let users ‘feel a
strong sensation of bodily connection’ [15]. They also note that ‘the sense of touch
still remains one of our most private sensation for which we still lack a concise lan-
guage to describe’. However, as a language of touch appears contingent on haptic
resolution
2
[13], it is likely that the minimal haptic resolution of one vibrator influ-
enced the lack of haptic expressivity.
The ‘Hug Shirt’ by the CuteCircuit company [16] attempts to construct haptic
communication for simple, personal messages between users wearing what appears to
be a normal looking shirt. The shirt transmits ‘hugs’ to another, similar shirt via a
Bluetooth and Java enabled telephone device. The stimulus resembling a hug is pro-
duced by vibrotactile stimulation. Although scarcely described the shirt apparently
has a haptic resolution of 10+ effectors. The company has worked on developing a
taxonomy of hugs, but its effects are unclear. Another similar project is the ‘Huggy
Pyjamas’ by Cheok [17] that exchanges hugs through pneumatic actuators, allowing
stronger sensations, but on the cost of wearability.
Thecla Schiphorst has worked on developing ‘Semantics of Caress’ [18] that inves-
tigates how the meaning of touch can be applied to tactile interaction. This system
represents touch and movement as something meaningful, contributing to quality
sharing. Having identified intrinsic values of haptic communication in systems with
relatively low haptic resolution, one of our research questions has been how this can
be translated into functioning, wearable systems that produce a greater degree of tac-
tile immersion? High fidelity haptics implies a haptic resolution of 90+ effec-
tors/actuators [13].
Usability issues such as weight, volume and power consumption poses a serious
challenge to future system designs of wearable, mobile haptic systems. Lindeman et
al.’s research [19] on full-body haptic feedback through applications made with their
‘TactaVest’ haptic feedback system attempts to complete the user’s sense of tactile
immersion in a VR-based environment. The resolution of the early TactaVest physi-
2
as the number of stimulators over surface of stimulation
cally confirms the haptic vision [5] experienced through VR. However, with only 8+
vibrotactile effectors it does not appear to have a high enough haptic resolution to
provide a sense of sensory immersion on its own.
2 Artistic Research Methodology
The development of our haptic system has followed the path of affective interaction
design where key aspects of the process are to effect emotional responses in the target
user [20]. Emotional experiences do not solely reside in our minds or brains. They are
experienced throughout our whole bodies [21]. Emotions have a crucial role in the
human ability to understand and learn new things. Objects that are aesthetically pleas-
ing appear to the user to be more effective by virtue of their sensual appeal [22].
Our research into affective haptics is grounded theoretically on practiced-based ar-
tistic research that is formed by the practice of making art [23]. Such artistically guid-
ed research is integrated in our projects through the construction of different practical-
aesthetical experiments. Our various projects represent empirical research through
testing prototypes of mobile, haptic interfaces. The advantages of building prototypes
are many [24]. First of all it facilitates testing conditions that are not covered by es-
tablished principles of design. Second, it provides an evaluation of a first concept for
user interface as well as giving quick feedback from the user(s). Drawbacks include
the temporary and limited experiential construction of prototypes. The scope of our
prototypes has been to cover specific and aesthetically relevant aspects of technologi-
cally produced touch.
All our experiments have an open, explorative character, addressing the affective
dimensions of haptic experience. How is this useful in scientific contexts? According
to Schön, artistic works can be seen to represent knowledge, and the way the artist
makes them reflects artistic methods [25]. We see making artworks as an integral part
in building systematic knowledge about the use and application of haptic experiences.
Our combination of affective interaction design approach with artistic exploration
attempts to provoke emotional experiences in the user target group to reveal areas of
problems throughout the different iterations of the hardware design.
Throughout our projects we have systematically applied a combination of the fol-
lowing methods: i) artistic practice-based research, ii) user interviews and iii) user
observation. These were applied as tools to systematically create knowledge relevant
to our goal of gaining insight and knowledge about haptic stimulus in mobile settings.
The complex and multifaceted character of practical-aesthetical experiments demands
bricolaged and interdisciplinary methods, therefore the use of ‘hybrid methodology’ is
also suitable to describe our research
2.1 First Generation Mobile Haptics
Our first collaborative project, World Ripple, used GPS coordinates and satellite
based navigation to create ‘immaterial sculptures placed in the open outdoor land-
scape. The sculptures are either location based events, a kind of haptic theatre, or
dynamic (data) structures moving, changing, developing their dimensions and proper-
ties over time’ [26]. Users wore a bodysuit controlled by a GPS enabled laptop which
connected to a micro-controller board and a custom made extension board called ‘the
dusk’ made for controlling the 64 coin-shaped vibrators inside the bodysuit. The bod-
ysuit is worn underneath the ordinary clothing and the portable, sensor- and GPS
based system is carried in a shoulder bag together with a laptop computer which con-
trolled the entire system.
Fig. 1. Controller box with DUSK board (64 actuators) for BlindTheatre Bodysuit
The next iteration of the system was named 'The Blind Theatre' and turned the body
into the stage of a somatic theatre (Fig. 1 and 2). It was performed indoors in 2009 at
the Norwegian National Theatre in Oslo
3
. Users experienced an audio-haptic story
while walking blindfolded around in the theatre. They reported high-order tactile
percepts such as stroking, rubbing and caressing [27].
1. The blind theater project. http://blindtheater.wordpress.com
Fig. 2. The bodysuit for the Blind Theater. The haptic suit had two functional layers, one inner
corsette and an outer, looser-fit cape.
2.2 Second Generation Mobile Haptics
The third iteration of the design replaced the laptop with the use of smartphones. This
increased both comfort and maneuverability due to the smartphones weight and small
form factor.
Fig. 3. The Psychoplastic bodysuit during use in Ljubljana 2010.
Much like World Ripple this system used GPS to geotagg haptic data into zones de-
fined by spatial coordinates. When entering predefined zones, users would trigger and
sense the space through different combinations of vibrotactile patterns and sound
(voice).
The phone both acted as GPS receiver and also ran the application controlling the
vibrotactile outputs. The data was sent via Bluetooth to a custom made hardware
named “Leaf” which consisted of a communication and control board extending into
5 boards shaped like flower leafs where each board controlled 16 vibrating motors,
totaling 80 high-resolution actuators.
2.3 The Sense Memory Experiment
In the next Sense Memory experiment (2011) we simplified the system in order to
experiment with an outdoor theatre involving multiple users. Constraints were cost
and reliability. Using the new Arduino Mega board to Android system, the body suit
contained only 16 high-resolution actuators. Although the haptic resolution was sig-
nificantly lower, it simplified the first iteration of development and allowed us to
prototype new hardware solutions within hours, focusing on maximizing the haptic
effects outputs and design of haptic patterns. This also simplified the construction of
the bodysuit, allowing us to – if needed – rapidly produce multiple suits.
Fig. 4. The Sense Memory Cape during the Malmö test.
Shaped as a cape (Fig. 4) the final bodysuit was designed for all-weather, outdoor use.
Also here the user experienced invisible ‘sculptures’ by walking around in selected
areas. New sets of haptic sculptures/expressions were geo-tagged onto 30+ zones
placed around the square. Once the user enters one of the invisible geographic zones
the sculptures came alive inside the cape as a combination of binaural sounds and
vibrotactile patterns. Every zone contained different words and poetic expressions
about emptiness in combination with unique haptic patterns. Here the user’s walk
formed combinations of touch and words into a unique somatosensory story.
2.4 User observation and analysis
As part of our artistic research user feedback were collected through conducting in-
formal interviews with several participants throughout all the iterations of the system.
In combination with our own observations we present the following analytical results:
1. Immersive closure of space: Walking around in the public square during normal
daytime activities, users reported they were mindful of it beforehand, but once in-
side one of the suit they quickly immersed into the experience and forgot about
possible onlookers. This indicates a closure of space, strengthening users’ sense of
an intimate, personal and ‘inner’ experience.
2. Multimodal strengthening of senses indicating the affective roles of haptics and
audio in interaction: the cross-modal combination of sound and touch was experi-
enced as intermingled, intertwined into a mutual strengthening of stimulus. Most
users reported focusing mainly on the sound heard and that this appeared as the
strongest stimulus. However, they also commented that the touches experienced
made them stay longer, thus intensifying the overall sensation of body and space.
3. Increase of spatial awareness: a higher degree of spatial awareness was both ob-
served and reported. Users wearing one of the systems noticeably changed their
movement in space, becoming more aware of how they were moving to find both
new and previous zones of experience.
4. Behavioral change: as users were free to move around in the open space we possi-
bly expected a systematic, grid like search for the various interactive areas. How-
ever, once they entered the first interactive area they tended to move slowly before
stopping. Thereafter they were observed to move in what can be described as an ir-
regular, search like manner, moving back and forth, turning back to previous
zones. The quick adaptation to new movement and behavior indicates how easily
users can adapt to haptic technologies.
2.5 Discussion
There are both benefits and problems with using an artistic exploration approach to
the development of a wearable haptic system. Benefits compared to a traditional engi-
neering approach that would focus on low level powering issues, long battery lives, or
similar, is the artistic based strengthening of focus on the experiential dimension and
user experience. Haptic and content related issues so become much more apparent in
the early stages of development. In this way we can be more effective in creating
valuable user experiences in faster design iterations. Such findings include positioning
and repositioning of vibrotactile effectors in relation to sound and sequencing of hap-
tic patterns. Focusing on users’ sense of embodiment and immersion we found that
anything less than 64 high-resolution haptic actuators seem to reduce the strength of
the experience. When compared to other projects using higher densities of high reso-
lution, vibrotactile stimulation such as Erotogod [13] a preferable number for a full
bodysuit covering most parts of the body would be 90+.
One major challenge is how to develop and design haptic patterns that allow for
high-order tactile percepts. Although not treated specifically here, our projects have
designed iterations of haptic editors that facilitate rapid coding and testing of ad-
vanced haptic patterns. In combination with our wide range of body suit designs this
allows for optimal actuator placement and combinations on the body.
Other challenges connected to the use of an artistic exploration approach relate to
the evaluation of user feedback. In the nature of interactive art projects, the user be-
comes an integral part of the emotional experience they are evaluating. Though ob-
servations were made on changes in behavioral patterns during tests, assuring their
scientific relevance is difficult since the users could not, in most cases, confirm or
deny these changes as they were both performing an art project and at the same time
being the actual art piece.
3 Conclusion and future developments
This paper contributes to i) the construction of functional, wearable and haptic experi-
ence systems and ii) the discourse of how actual embodiment is experienced within
human computer interaction. The combination of i) hardware development and ii)
conceptual, aesthetical work has greatly helped us develop new scenarios and novel
approaches to the field of haptics. Our field tests show how geotagging haptic experi-
ences greatly affects the users embodied experiences such as sense of place. Another
outcome from our experiments is the suggestion that the experience of full body hap-
tic immersion need a haptic resolution of 90+ effectors. There are many improve-
ments to be made and future developments need to include high resolution and wear-
able prototypes capable of producing advanced haptic experiences for users on the
move. Another aim is setting up a more rigid frame work for the evaluation of the
artistic exploration approach to strengthen the academic relevance of the highly sub-
jective results such artworks produce.
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