A parent trying out our minimal tactile vision sensory substitution system (TVSS) at Bright Sparks, an event at the Brighton Science Festival for primary school children (February 21, 2009). Photo by Danielle Wilde.

Using an Animazoo motion capture system and vibrotactile feedback to train novice violin players. Photo by Jon Bird.

The MusicJacket uses an Animazoo motion capture system and vibrotactile feedback to train novice violin players. Photo by Jon Bird.

An initial gaffer tape and velcro prototype to explore how the image from an ultra mini camera worn as a ring could be mapped to a vibrotactile array (January 2009). Photo by Jon Bird.

Third Eye prototype. An initial gaffer tape and velcro prototype to explore how the image from an ultra mini camera worn as a ring could be mapped to a vibrotactile array (January 2009). Photo by Jon Bird.

The Haptic Drum Kit for teaching drummers polyphonic rhythms. Photo by Simon Holland.

The Haptic Drum Kit uses vibtortactile signals to teach drummers polyphonic rhythms. Photo by Simon Holland.

The e-sense project is a collaboration between the Open University and Edinburgh University and is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

Building novel augmentation devices to explore sensory, bodily and cognitive extension

The e-sense project is funded by an AHRC speculative research grant and runs from October 2008 - March 2010. In this interdisciplinary research, philosophy and art combine with various flavours of computing: ubiquitous; wearable; and physical.

We are initially rapidly prototyping a range of sensory augmentation devices including:

a minimal tactile vision sensory substitution (TVSS) system;
MusicJacket - a system for training novice violin players using motion capture and vibrotactile feedback;
a Third Eye worn as a ring;
Haptic Drum Kit - a system for teaching drummers polyphonic rhythms;
Locusts - augmenting a multitouch table with vibrotactile feedback to enhance workspace awareness.

Philosophical analysis and artistic exploration inform our design process and user studies of the resulting augmentation devices will reciprocally feedback into these two disciplines.

News

The Extended Mind in Theory and Applications, ZIF, 23-25 November, Bielefeld, Germany.

Andy Clark and Jon Bird are invited speakers at this interdisciplinary event.

Experimentality, 19-20 November, Lancaster

Jon Bird is an invited speaker at the 'Experiment as Event in the Arts and Sciences Workshop at Lancaster University. This is part of the Institute of Advanced Studies Annual Research Programme, which this year is concerned with 'Experimentality'.

Skin Vision Demonstration at HCI 2009

Jon Bird and Paul Marshall gave a demonstration of the minimal tactile vision sensory substitution system at the Open House Festival of Technology at HCI 2009. The demo was very popular and covered by the BBC and Usability News.

Best Technology Paper at HCI 2009

Our paper on the development of the minimal tactile vision sensory substitution system was awarded the archival highlights prize for best technology paper.

Bird, J., Marshall, P. and Rogers, Y. (2009) Low-Fi Skin Vision: A Case Study in Rapid Prototyping a Sensory Substitution System. Proceedings of HCI, 55-64.

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