Aesthetic Qualities of Thermal and Vibrotactile Materials for Somatic Contemplation
Symposium:
Session Title:
- Machinic Sense & Sensibility: Spatial, Interactive, Sensory Media
Presentation Title:
- Aesthetic Qualities of Thermal and Vibrotactile Materials for Somatic Contemplation
Presenter(s):
Abstract:
Wearable technologies for self-knowledge and selfimprovement are predominantly data-driven, whereas tools for somatic self-reflection based in sensory stimuli are less explored. Our research investigates the question of how do we facilitate access to aesthetic experiences for bodily awareness using heat and vibration as art and design materials? This paper presents a user study on the use of wearable props transmitting heat and vibration, integrated into the somatic technique Focusing. From our analysis, we discovered a series of aesthetic qualities categorized as heat as an embodied relation, and vibration as an immersed extension. These aesthetic qualities were reformulated as considerations to guide the design of wearable technology for self-awareness using heat and vibration as sensory focus on the body, facilitating the emergence of personal meaning making in the process of inner discovery.
