In this article I explore a perspective that the philosophical concepts of German phenomenologist Hermann Schmitz (*1928) may open up for thinking about the growing practice of wearing textile integrated electronics directly on the body. It is my contention that traditional conceptions of wearing (non-technological) clothing on the body fail to capture the changed situation and I hence suggest a paradigm shift is needed to think about the novel scope of affects that can be related to body-technology communication. Schmitz’s concepts of the perceptive felt body, corporeal communication and emotions as atmospheres perceived as outside, on or close to the ‘material’ body will be elaborated upon to investigate how they may enhance existing notions of bodily perception and human-technology relations. The case study used for this philosophical investigation is found in the Tactile Sleeve for Social Touch, a wearable created by Elitac, HvA and UTwente, which allows sensations of stroking, tapping and touching to be communicated from one person to another across a distance.
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Anyone who has watched a child play with soft semi-liquid materials like honey, frosting, or slime, sees the fascinating interplay between design and physics. Many of us remember these experiences from our own childhood (or maybe not that long ago). These materials dribble and coil as they stack upon themselves when we drop them onto surfaces like cakes from small heights. This ludic behavior represents a physical phenomenon known as rope coiling. Recent research in 3D printing of clay and plastic has started to wonder how rope coiling can be leveraged to create new textures and textile-like structures through non-planar 3D Printing. These provide new tactile experiences in objects like cups and visual experiences in things like lamps. In this demonstrator, we invite researchers and practitioners to return to their childhood and dribble edible materials to understand how to advance additive manufacturing through interactive printing.
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We need mental and physical reference points. We need physical reference points such as signposts to show us which way to go, for example to the airport or the hospital, and we need reference points to show us where we are. Why? If you don’t know where you are, it’s quite a difficult job to find your way, thus landmarks and “lieux de memoire” play an important role in our lives.
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