Haplós: Vibrotactile somaesthetic technology for body awareness

Inspired by somatic methodologies and neurophysiology, Haplós is a low-cost, wearable technology that applies vibrotactile patterns to the skin, can be incorporated in existing clothing and implements, and can be programmed and activated remotely. We review existing vibrotactile technologies and known uses of vibrotactile stimuli; describe the hardware, textile, and software components of Haplós; describe results from a quasi-experimental workshop to evaluate Haplós; and discuss future research and development directions

Biomodd: The integration of art into transdisciplinary research practices

Biomodd is an artistic project with the potential for supporting transdisciplinary practices in blended virtual and in-person environments. After describing the project components, we discuss the collaborative process of idea generation and participant engagement.In this paper, we argue for the integration of collaborative art practice in transdisciplinary (TD) research to generate ideas and engage researchers and non-academic stakeholders. We draw on the virtual and in-person (hybrid) participation of members of the TD collective Space Ecologies Art and Design (SEADS) during Biomodd, an art installation that addresses global challenges in ecology, humanity, technology, and technological waste. Using survey responses, diaries, and meeting minutes, we reflect on the process, methods and ideation during Biomodd and map them to the concept of the “idea journey” discussed by Jill E. Perry-Smith and Pier Vittorio Mannucci. We find that while in-person ideation was driven by utility, materiality, and emergence, the hybrid mode provided favorable conditions for a feedback loop of expansive, individual experimentation and online sharing

Sensing yourself by sensing the ground: getting intimate with the environment through vibrotactile stimulation

My practice-based research involves the design of wearable technology for enhancing proprioceptive and tactile sensitivity. Haplós is a low-cost, portable device that applies vibrotactile patterns to the skin, can be incorporated in existing clothing and implements, and can be programmed and activated remotely. It is inspired by the Feldenkrais Method (Feldenkrais, 1972), a movement-based learning system for neuromuscular re-education. I conducted a series of public engagement events and workshops that demonstrate how users of Haplós felt their relationship to the environment - specifically, the ground - more clearly through the application of vibrotactile stimuli. This poster shows two drawings generated by one of the participants. The shaded areas represent portions of the back that the participant could feel in contact with the ground when lying down. After stimulating one side of their back with Haplós, most participants reported that they felt more of that side of their back clearly and in contact with the ground. I thus argue that as a technology for improving self-sensing, Haplós can also be understood as a technology for getting to know the environment more intimately. As Höök et al. (2015) note, “by increasing our body awareness through engaging in various forms of training, we can become more perceptive and aware in the physical world in which we live and act”

Anthropology Of, For, And With Design: A Philippine Perspective

The intersection of the fields of design and anthropology emerges as fertile ground for study as societies increasingly acknowledge the tremendous impact the objects we create for ourselves have on our lives. As anthropologists and ethnographers involved in running our own design research company in the Philippines, negotiating the alignments and contradictions between the two fields of knowledge is an essential component of our everyday research practice. This paper outlines different models of the relationships between design and anthropology as systems of knowledge and practice. We first extend a theoretical framework that distinguishes between anthropology of, anthropology for, and anthropology with design (Gunn and Donovan 2013): we maintain that anthropology with design underlies an approach increasingly used in commercial industries known as "design thinking", and describe the different ways by which knowledge is generated and mobilized in each of these relationships; we further describe how the artifacts of design can be seen to either materialize, shape, or probe culturally-mediated meanings, power relations, and values. We illustrate these concepts through client-commissioned projects that our organization has conducted in the Philippines. We next examine how and when these design-anthropology relationships are realized when working with clients. While anthropology with design will likely create better outcomes for our clients, larger clients must often settle for anthropology for design; we describe how we have negotiated these tensions and present our outcomes from our engagement with them. We end with a call for the development of a local prism through which practitioners in the field of design can further engage in critical reflection of the production of artifacts, particular those created with the intent of addressing social concerns. Specifically, we call for more localized conceptual frameworks of design that can be patterned (for instance) on India's notion of jugaad, and advance an increased engagement for anthropology with design across various sectors of Philippine society.This preprint version might differ from the final published paper, which will appear in AghamTao, Journal of the Ugnayang Pang-Aghamtao / Anthropological Association of the Philipppines (ISSN: 0118-4857), vol. 23, 2014. http://css.pssc.org.ph/viewcategory.php?groupid=6. Pamela Gloria Cajilig and Diego S. Maranan are co-founders of Curiosity Design Research, a research agency which uses design as platform for inspiration, solutions, and social change. In addition, Diego Maranan is Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Information and Communication Studies at the University of the Philippines Open University

False Prophets: Exploring Hybrid Board/Video Games

www.edgelab.sfu.ca In order to develop technology that promotes social interaction rather than isolation, we are exploring the space between board games and video games. We created a hybrid game that leverages the advantages of both physical and digital media. A custom sensor interface promotes physical interaction around the shared public display while the un-oriented tabletop display encourages players to focus on each other rather than on the interface to the game. The ensuing social interactions define the course that the game takes, while the computer enhances the gaming experience by completing the menial tasks and providing dynamic, exciting environments. Our hybrid board/video game has the potential to enhance natural and enjoyable recreational interaction between friends

Exploring the Potential of a Ticketing-Based Student Support System for Open and Distance e-Learning Institutions

Quality assurance in higher education can be examined in multiple dimensions, one being effective student support. It is arguably one of the most important aspects of an educational institution. This paper argues for the potential benefits of a ticketing-based system as part of an open and distance e-learning (ODeL) institution’s quality assurance initiatives in student support. In order to determine the ticketing-based system’s potential benefits, various educational ticketing-based support systems are reviewed. Aside from document reviews, interviews with the program chair, students, and support staff were also conducted as a way to identify the primary student support challenges in ODeL. Some of the issues that arose had to do with personalized support and interaction; response times; consistent and accurate solutions; clearly defined academic processes and policies; record keeping; the bulk of queries; and information lost during staff turnover. Interview data also revealed a set of criteria used to qualify excellent student support services both from an institutional and student perspective. Lastly, ODeL student support challenges that can be addressed by a ticketing-based system were assessed by analyzing the experiences of students, support staff, and faculty