Physical distance presents a challenge for building and maintaining relationships. With recent work showing the effectiveness of both visual and haptic feedback in supporting interpersonal touch over a distance, such technologies look to bridge this gap and improve existing communication technologies. In this project, we explore the potential role of shape-shifting displays for doing so. We present two prototypes, one using linear slide potentiometers and the other using linear actuators, that incorporate these forms of feedback to facilitate mediated social touch. We present the benefits and drawbacks of each system, and conclude that, for a system focused on collaboration and synchronous communication, linear actuators may be better suited due to their load capacity and precision.
['Timothy Pallarino', 'Aaron E. Free', 'Katrina Mutuc', 'Svetlana Yarosh']
Feeling Distance: An Investigation of Mediated Social Touch Prototypes