The UX of Human Senses (Week 1)

Brief: Conceive, make and wear a design that extends human senses beyond the body.

Our sense was interception, to be experienced at Tate Modern, Turbine Hall.

Team: Qibin Cheng, Manfredi Montaretto Marullo, Muneria Kazi

---

Interception is the sense built from signals between the brain and the body. We debated where interception started and exteroception stopped, and we agreed that interception is part of the building blocks for emotion. This exploration around interception both helped us refine our experiments and showed how blurry the line is within human perception and expression.

We undertook three experiments at our location Turbine Hall, Tate Modern.

Experiment 1: Reducing external senses and attempting to count our own heartbeat to test if minimising other senses brought interception to the forefront.

Result: The removal of external senses was so unnerving that we could not focus on internal senses.

Image of Manfredi attempting to meditate/be in a calm state to enhance interoceptive senses. Photo by author.

Experiment 2: Trying to count our own heartbeat while lying down in Turbine Hall, to establish whether we have a baseline for interception.

Result: Personally,I can be conscious of my heartbeat easily, whilst Qibin is not; from this, therefore interception is variable and not experienced equally

Image of Qibin lying on the 2nd floor platform of Tate Modern, trying to sense his heartbeat. Photo by author.

Use of heart rate monitor to measure beats per minute at multiple locations. Photo by author.

Experiment 3: Manfredi and Qibin jumping up and down on the bridge to enhance/over-exaggerate the sensations of the slight ‘wobble’ we could feel through our feet and legs, but most instinctively in our gut. It is a response from the stomach to the brain to inform that something is not right with the floor we are standing on.

Result: The tension in the gut is sending signals to the brain showing concern over the environment.

Manfredi and Qibin jumping on the bridge to enhance the sensation of unease. Video by author

Our visit inspired two concept ideas for a wearable.

Concept 1: When you enter the hall from the low height lobby onto the ramp you encounter a cavernous space. This caused slower breathing (in awe), but higher heart rate. We proposed that the entrance lobby wears a covering that creates either dulling or overwhelming of the exteroceptive senses to enhance and contrast the interceptive effect once you have moved through the experience.

Scale model of Turbine Hall to demonstrate the locations of experiences and the first concept. Photo by author

Concept 2: Replicating the feeling upon the bridge where the unsteady movement causes tension in the gut, by causing the unsteady effect with an external source. We proposed using ball bearings on a track clamped around the waist; their movement against the movement of the wearer would create the contradiction.

Qibin trying our representative of a wearable concept - ping pong balls attached between ribbon, demonstrating the ball bearings on a track. Photo by author

The main feedback we received was that the descriptions and research had been undertaken well, however we need to ensure what we are trying to recreate will be realistic to achieve within the classroom.

My thoughts are that Concept 1 could be effective however to create this on a small scale may not be achievable. There would need to be extensive materials testing and prototypes to figure out the best version of this concept as there are many concepts within one idea.

Concept 2 has potential to grow as a wearable but needs further thought to ensure there is distinction from the sense of balance to ensure the interception is recreated properly, and the fidelity and design of the wearable needs to be considered to ensure we are recreating the whole experience.