Integration of Art and Technology for Realising New Communications

One of the important targets of engineering is to develop technologies that can realize new communications such as human-like communications with computers. In this area, so far, verbal communication has been mainly studied. On the other hand, non-verbal aspect of communications based on human emotion and sensitivity plays a very important role. It is indispensable, therefore, to develop non-verbal communication technologies for realizing human-like communications with computers. As engineering methods to treat emotions or sensitivity have not fully developed yet, collaboration with people in other areas is inevitable. One possible area is art where treating these basic human functions has been the main issue. One of the important functions of art is to transfer the concepts of the author to the audience by appealing to their emotional and intellectual perceptions. In recent years a new type of art called Interactive Art has emerged. Interactive art’s target is two-way communications by utilizing various kinds of technologies for interaction. There is a good chance therefore, that art and technology can work together to realize highly sophisticated communication methods. Based on this basic concept we have started a project to create new communication methods based on the collaboration between artists and engineers.