LumiTouch: An Emotional Communication Device
From ThesisWiki
Contents |
Authors
Angela Chang, Ben Resner, Brad Koerner, XingChen Wang, Hiroshi Ishii
Overview
The authors describe LumiTouch, a pair of picture frames that hold photos and have lights around the edges. When the frame senses the presence of a person nearby it causes the other remote frame to glow around the edges. If either person squeezes the frame it transmits a light message based on location, intensity, and duration of the squeeze. In this way people can create an "interpersonal language" for expressive communication.
Reflection
I think the idea of designing for adaptive interpretation using abstract patterns is interesting. In the paper they talk about how LumiTouch is in the gray area between ambient and direct communication. They mix two different modes -- implicit and explicit -- by allowing the frame to communicate presence without interaction. I'm not sure that a picture frame is the right object to be emotionally linked to someone. There is the direct metaphor of the photo in the frame but this may be a situation where metaphor limits expressiveness.
It's too bad that they didn't test this on people who have an intimate connection or where emotionally involved with one another. This really limits the quality of the feedback.
