Magic lining: crafting multidisciplinary experiential knowledge by changing wearer's body-perception through vibrotactile clothing

Abstract

Our complex and rapidly changing world presents us with profound societal challenges, but also offers tremendous opportunities for new technology to respond to those challenges. Several recent U initiatives have enabled participants from a diverse array of disciplines to engage in common spaces for developing solutions to existing challenges and to imagine possible futures. This includes collaborations between the arts and sciences, fields which have traditionally contributed very different forms of knowledge, methodology, results and measures of success. They also speak very different languages. Magic Lining is a collaborative project involving participants from the fields of e-textile design, neuroscience and human-computer interaction (HCI). Magic Lining combines the findings of their respective disciplines to develop a 'vibrotactile' garment utilising soft, interactive materials and is designed to alter the wearer's perception of their own body. Here we explain the process of designing the first prototype garment—a dress that produces in its wearer the sensation that their body is made of some of other material (stone, air, etc.) and in turn elicits various perceptual and emotional responses (feeling strong, feeling calm, etc.). We reflect on the collaborative process, highlighting the multidisciplinary team's experience in finding a common space and language for sharing cognitive and experiential knowledge. We share our insights into the various outcomes of the collaboration, giving also our views on the benefits and on potential improvements for this kind of process.