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Aalborg Universitet Virtual Touch a Study of the Use and Experience Of Aalborg Universitet Virtual Touch A study of the use and experience of touch in artistic, multimodal and computer-based environments Stenslie, Ståle Publication date: 2010 Document Version Early version, also known as pre-print Link to publication from Aalborg University Citation for published version (APA): Stenslie, S. (2010). Virtual Touch: A study of the use and experience of touch in artistic, multimodal and computer-based environments. Oslo School of Architecture and Design. General rights Copyright and moral rights for the publications made accessible in the public portal are retained by the authors and/or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. ? Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose of private study or research. ? You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain ? You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the public portal ? Take down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us at [email protected] providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. Downloaded from vbn.aau.dk on: December 25, 2020 VIRTUAL TOUCH Virtual Touch - A study of the use and experience of touch in artistic, multimodal and computer-based environments Ståle Stenslie 1 VIRTUAL TOUCH © Ståle Stenslie, 2010 ISSN xxx ISBN xxx CON-TEXT Avhandling xxx Doctoral Thesis at Oslo School of Architecture and Design. PUBLISHER: Oslo School of Architecture and Design. FRONTPAGE PICTURE: Ståle Stenslie PRINT Unipub forlag AS DESIGN OF BASISMAL: BMR 2 VIRTUAL TOUCH Table of Contents Table of Contents ........................................................................ 3 Abstract ...................................................................................... 11 Acknowledgements ................................................................... 13 Preface: Confessions of a media artist ....................................... 15 1. BEING VIRTUALLY TOUCHED ....................................... 17 1.1 Introduction ................................................................ 17 1.2. Structure of the study .................................................. 20 1.3. Observations, research questions and hypothesis building ........................................................................ 21 1.4. Four observations, research questions, hypothesis, aims and objectives ............................................................... 24 1.4.1. On perceptual symbiosis .......................................................... 24 1.4.2. On sensory resolution .............................................................. 25 1.4.3. On the real virtual sensation .................................................... 25 1.4.4. On the possibility of haptic expressions .................................. 26 1.5. Research aims, objectives and goals ........................... 26 1.5.1. Approaching touch through art ............................................... 27 1.5.2. Wicked problems in art and design.......................................... 29 1.6. Terminology and glossary of touch ............................ 31 1.7. Personal background and motivation .......................... 34 1.8. Future touch ................................................................ 41 1.9. Ergonomics and haptics .............................................. 45 1.10. Research traditions ...................................................... 46 1.11. On the use of media art as experimental context ........ 47 1.12. Summary and discussion ............................................. 48 2. ARTISTIC RESEARCH – FRAMING A METHODOLOGY FOR HYBRID CASES .......................................................... 51 2.1. Introduction ................................................................. 51 2.2. The problem of personal interest and ethics ............... 53 2.3. On artistic practice as research and method ................ 54 2.3.1. What is artistic research ........................................................... 55 3 VIRTUAL TOUCH 2.3.2. Transgressive artistic research ................................................. 57 2.3.3. Contextual framing of artistic research .................................... 61 2.3.4. Good research, crap art ............................................................ 62 2.3.5. Risky research ......................................................................... 64 2.3.6. Abundance of artistic methodologies ...................................... 66 2.3.7. Critical creative production ..................................................... 67 2.4. Finding my methods ................................................... 68 2.5. The bricolage of methods ........................................... 69 2.5.1. Autoethnographic methodology .............................................. 71 2.6. The challenge of methodological development .......... 73 2.7. Erotogod – a personal, practice-based artistic experiment as case study ............................................. 74 2.8. Summary and discussion ............................................ 75 3. THE PHYSIOLOGY, PSYCHOLOGY AND PHENOMENOLOGY OF TOUCH .......................................... 77 3.1. Early history of the senses of touch ............................ 78 3.2. The physiology of touch: understanding tactile information ............................................................................ 81 3.2.1. Physiological functionality of the skin .................................... 82 3.2.2. The tactile senses of touch ....................................................... 83 3.2.3. Skin receptors .......................................................................... 83 3.2.4. Summary and discussion of the physiology of touch .............. 85 3.3. The psychology of touch ............................................. 86 3.3.1. Touch, affects and emotions .................................................... 88 3.3.2. Affective computing ................................................................ 91 3.3.3. Body maps ............................................................................... 94 3.3.4. Psychophysics .......................................................................... 96 3.3.5. Psychotechnology .................................................................... 97 3.3.6. Psychophysical induction technologies ................................... 98 3.3.7. Cross-modal interaction ........................................................... 99 3.3.8. Psychophysics in the arts ....................................................... 100 3.4. The phenomenology of touch ................................... 101 4 VIRTUAL TOUCH 3.4.1. Culture and touch................................................................... 103 3.5. Summary and discussion .......................................... 106 4. OVERVIEW OF RESEARCH INTO TOUCH AND TOUCHING TECHNOLOGIES ......................................... 109 4.1. Introducing digital media art ..................................... 109 4.2. Telepresence ............................................................. 115 4.3. A shorter taxonomy of digital art .............................. 117 4.3.1. Digital and interactive video: Krueger’s Videoplace ............. 118 4.3.2. Real time simulation and the beginning of cyberspace.......... 119 4.3.3. Adding touch to telepresence ................................................. 121 4.4. Immersion ................................................................. 123 4.4.1. Taxonomy of haptic immersion ............................................. 124 4.4.2. Discussion on immersion ....................................................... 126 4.4.3. The material paradox of virtual realities ................................ 127 4.5. Towards tangible and touching technologies ............ 128 4.5.1. Touch-related visions, inspirations and historical concepts ... 131 4.5.2. Sensorama: introducing practical haptics .............................. 134 4.6. Overview of key research into tactile technologies .. 136 4.6.1. Tactile research in HCI – Human Computer Interaction ....... 137 4.6.2. Vibratese and tactile languages ............................................. 138 4.6.3. Bach-Y-Rita’s vibrotactile display ........................................ 138 4.6.4. Tangible computing ............................................................... 140 4.6.5. Force feedback and Phantom ................................................. 143 4.6.6. Haptic cocktail ....................................................................... 145 4.6.7. Telepresence in the TeleGarden ............................................ 146 4.7. Artistic projects on touch technologies ..................... 148 4.7.1. Transatlantic telephonic arm wrestling .................................. 149 4.7.2. Telematic Dreaming .............................................................. 150 4.7.3. Ping Body .............................................................................. 152 4.7.4. Bodymaps: artifacts of touch ................................................. 155 4.7.5. Mobile Feelings ..................................................................... 157 5 VIRTUAL TOUCH 4.7.6. The Hug Shirt ........................................................................ 159 4.7.7.
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