Sociology

Neuroscience

Cognitive science

Uncanny

Social science

Human–computer interaction

Operating system

Aesthetics

Agency (philosophy)

Psychiatry

Artificial intelligence

Psychology

Mirroring

Monster

Soma

Breathing

Computer science

Art history

Process (computing)

Communication

Morphing

ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction

We report on a soma design process, where we designed a novel shape-changing garment—the Soma Corset. The corset integrates sensing and actuation around the torso in tight interaction loops. The design process revealed how boundaries between the garment and the wearer can become blurred, leading to three flavours of cyborg relations. First, through the lens of the monster, we articulate how the wearer can adopt or reject the garment, resulting in either harmonious or disconcerting experiences of touch. Second, it can be experienced as an organic “other”-with its own agency-resulting in uncanny experiences of touch. Through mirroring the wearer’s breathing, the garment can also be experienced as a twisted version of one’s own body. We suggest that a gradual sensitisation of designers-through soma design and reflection on the emerging human-technology relations-may serve as a pathway for uncovering and articulating novel, machine-like, digital touch experiences.

Touching Our Breathing through Shape-Change: Monster, Organic Other, or Twisted Mirror