The skin

Abstract

Today, computers interact with humans through their own mechanical skins such as touch pads and touch screens. However, existing computer "skin" was only able to measure very limited information, such as contact location and contact pressure, from external contact. The Skin is an interactive artwork with a specially constructed touch surface that can measure a total of eight characteristics related to the object in contact with high precision, including four new kinetic properties (static friction coefficient, kinetic friction coefficient, Young's modulus and stiffness). The special touch surface consists of six load cells with cross-roller guides attached to the aluminum base that allows computers to perceive the outside world, similar to how human skin does. When an audience member touches their body or any object on the surface of The Skin, the computer generates moving images and sounds from those eight measured properties. In this process, the connection between the parameters of the output generated by the computer and the values measured from the touch surface changes in a way that maximizes the duration of interaction with the audience based on Karl Sims's artificial evolution process. This process is similar to a baby born with very sensitive skin gradually forming a solidarity connection with the outside world through repeated contact.