SOFT OBJECTS: Prototyping for Tactile Interpersonal Communication

Abstract

Sensory perception plays a fundamental role in how we interpret and relate to people and our environment. While verbal communication dominates much of our interaction, nonverbal forms, such as haptics, present alternatives for connection. This pictorial investigates the potential of haptic interaction through an iterative prototyping process, culminating in SYMBIONT—a pair of bioinspired soft robotic objects designed for affective tactile communication across distances or in shared spaces.