Developing Interaction Design Knowledge and Materials where Technology Touches the Body

Introduction

Intimate Touch will re-conceptualise how technologies use touch to interact with us. Bringing intimacy as a lens on touch inspires us to think about the felt experience of touch, the diversity of places on the body where we will be touched by technology, and the sense that touch can be transformative of our view of ourselves.

Project Overview

This project will develop the theory, methods, and technologies of Intimate Touch. It will bring together research in Human-Computer Interaction on intimate technologies with new interaction techniques, alongside psychological theories on intimacy and neuroscience perspectives on touch. Technologies that touch us will constitute a new paradigm of interactive devices, most strongly exemplified by care robots. Designing technologies for Intimate Touch will be foundational in creating dignified and acceptable interactions between humans and technologies.

Objectives

Objective 1: Develop a Model of Intimate Technology

The first objective is to develop a model of intimate technology. No researcher has done this before. This model will be developed through:

1. A large-scale interview study
2. In-situ, long-term studies of our own demonstrators of Intimate Touch

By identifying which interactions lead to intimacy, this project will have empirically identified a new class of technology: intimate technology.

Objective 2: Innovate on Touch Experience

Autonomous systems will touch many areas of our bodies. Yet, there has been no serious study of touch experiences other than on the hands and shoulders. My second objective will counter this by:

• Innovating on a design approach that centres the felt experience of touch from technology
• Creating a dataset that describes people's experience of touch from technology across the body

Objective 3: Develop Demonstrators of Intimate Touch

My final objective is to develop two demonstrators of Intimate Touch. This risky challenge will evidence how touch with technology transforms us. Practically, this will provide a roadmap to good touch from technology. Empirically, this will lay the groundwork for a re-conceptualization of our relationship with technology.