PhD defence by Tor-Salve Dalsgaard

Title

How Haptic Experiences Are Made

Abstract

Haptic experiences are elicited when humans use and interact with haptic technology. With ever-developing technology, the dream of an all-purpose haptic display comes closer to fruition. Yet, what it is like to experience such a display is in discourse. The senses of touch profoundly impact social relations, bodily comfort, and human development; how to facilitate this impact through haptic technology is still subject to research. Due to the potential impact, it is imperative for those who design, use, and evaluate haptic technology to understand how haptic experiences are made.
The interest in haptic experiences is clear; however, the terminology and approach to haptic experiences are mudded. In this thesis, I aim to provide an overview of what haptic experiences are and what they are not. I present the Inference-Design Model for Haptic Experience, defining the relation between haptic stimulation, sensation, and experience as a two-way model of inference and design. Inference, the conscious process of making sense of the world, is subject to the question of how haptic experiences are made, while design, the process of creating a haptic system, is subject to the question of how haptic experiences are made. These two concepts present themselves as two sides of the same coin; design aims to convey an intended experience, inference yields the experience apparent to the perceiving human.
This thesis proposes the Inference-Design Model for Haptic Experience as a theoretical construct for understanding haptic experiences. It also serves as a practical thinking tool for designing, using, and evaluating haptic technologies and devices. I speculate about the future of haptic experiences, particularly related to the dream of an all-purpose haptic display. In the end, I offer a new way of seeing haptic technology as part of a narrative spun by the designer that contributes to understanding how haptic experiences are made.

Supervisors

Principal supervisor Kasper Hornbæk
Co-supervisor Joanna Bergström

Assessment Committee

Associate professor Qian Janice Wang, Dept. of Food Science, UCPH (Chair)
Professor Karon MacLean, University of British Columbia
Associate Professor Eve Hoggan, Aarhus University

For an electronic copy of the thesis, please visit the PhD Programme page.