Collab97 project proposal: The Direction Bump
Brad Rhodes (rhodes@media.mit.edu) and Seum-Lim Gan (gan@media.mit.edu)
The idea: Create a belt, armband, ankle-bracelet, or other
"encircling" clothing that gives tactile feedback to convey direction.
There are two kinds of devices possible for this project, depending on the
hardware available:
"Direction Bump"
In this version, the belt would have a "bump" which continually pertrudes
towards the body, which gives the wearer a constant reminder of a
direction. The bump would migrate around the belt depending on
directions. For example, the bump could always point north, towards a
friend or loved one, or towards Meca. This version qualifies as a truly
ambient interface.
This version might be doable with peiso-electric or other materials that
contract or expand when a voltage is put across them. For example, several
bubles/balloons of volumetric goo could be placed on the inside of the
belt, going all the way around. When a particular bubble points north,
that bubble gets a charge across it, causing the material inside to expand
and presure to be felt by the wearer. It could also be done with a large
number of solonoids, so the resolution around the belt is small enough that
it feels like a single bump moving around.
"The Poker"
This version is easier to accomplish, since it uses less power and more
traditional hardware. In this version the tactile feedback would only be
occational. For example, the belt might poke the wearer in the right side
when it's time for the wearer to cross the street. This version could be
prototyped easilly with vibrators, small motor actuators, or other
mechanical devices. There is almost certainly a literature on this
sort of interface, especially in the disabilities field.