sport4minus.de

jens wunderling

human beings perceive the surrounding space mainly visual, occasionally (in the dark or in close range) also tactile, within the perimeter of their arms. there is nothing in between, an exception is the white cane used by blind people to explore their route ahead.

Bats use Echolocation for orientation and location of insects very precisely.

i’d like to create an artificial radius around people, which is coupled to the tactile sense, so that objects within that radius are perceived in the dark or outside of the field of vision, a bit like having eyes on the back of ones head.

an array of distance sensors on the torso giving input to vibrators enables the wearer to move without coming in contact with objects. the radius is variable.

what senses would man need in our high-tech society?

1) feeling hotspots:

the modern urban creative just cant live without wireless internet. thats why electroreception would come in handy… an object is built that lets one feel where WiFi is available.

(already existent)

2) feeling environmental threats:

implant or wearable: the user feels environmental threads like UV light, gas, radiation or electro smog, if the levels are too high, a warning signal is perceived (pain or uncomfortable sensations would make perfect sense). equipped with this sensorium, the user could have a good chance to extend his life-span. There are lots of indicators out there for these threats already, mostly in form of badges that change color, or sensors that make warning noises, but none of them are as easy and intuitive to understand as the feeling that you are hurt right now.

3) the feeling that someone is watching

in our world of surveillance and tracking and datamining, feeling if you are watched or not makes you extend your life-span; if youre in a place with no cameras, and you have your cellphone off, and no antenna tries to read out the RFID chip you have implanted, youre simply not stressed, which makes you live longer. again, an implant or wearable device checks your surroundings for infrared lights of surveillance cameras, rfid scanners, and reminds you to switch your cellphone of so you cant be located. if you listen to it, you’ll find a place where you are truly on your own.

as stated earlier, I’d like to be able to sense things by simple laying of hands. for making it real, i had two ideas:

1) mindreading/lie detection

either using gloves, glue or an implant, two electrodes are attached to ones palm, which are used to measure electro-dermal activity or dermal resistance, a well-known principle to build a simple lie detector.

this object adds a sense for truth to the user; if he touches another persons skin, and asks a question, the lie detector triggers a warning signal if the subject lies. since pain is the most
intense warning signal of the human body, the user is given an electric shock, making the warning unmistakeable.

2) hearing things beneath

a contact microphone is implanted or worn on the palm, upon touching something with the hand, one can hear sounds conducted by the material; a super-ear, since sounds travel further through dense materials. the user can hear things on the other side of the wall without a glass, can hear a railway coming from far away, can listen to mechanical noises in motors, etc. can hear the hum of a transformer, the rattling of a hard disk in his computer – a new possibility to explore the environment.