FMP
Potential Title: “La folie du doute”
What: An interactive VR experience (demo version) that tackles the emerging social issue of touch starvation and fear of touching objects post COVID-19 outbreak by exposing them to an immersive experience of an average night out with friends that includes tactile/haptic feedback and vivid environment design with shaders.
Exploring and commenting on two theories:
Theory/Argument 1) Touch starvation during lockdown: the argument that people lacked physical contact during the lockdown(s) regardless of whether they had some human company or not which lead them to experience touch starvation symptoms.
Theory/Argument 2) Touch aversion post COVID-19: the argument that people show an increased avoidance of haptic/tactile behavior [both towards humans and objects] than pre-pandemic.
Why: Because: A whole society is headed towards that direction with covid nowadays.
Why is a non-tactile lifestyle negative to us humans?:
When physical contact becomes limited—or, in some cases, eliminated—people can develop a condition called touch starvation or touch deprivation.
The outermost layer of our skin, called the epidermis, is predominantly made up of billions of keratinocyte cells. The keratinocytes release a chemical called adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which activates receptors on the sensory nerve to convey the sensation of touch to the brain. (Center, 2015)
It can be hard for someone to know if they are experiencing touch starvation. Most commonly, people will feel an overwhelming sensation of loneliness.
People may also experience:
- stress
- anxiety
- feelings of depression
- low satisfaction
- difficulty sleeping
- fatigue
- digestive problems
- low immune system
Furthermore, people may exhibit behavior trying to simulate touch. This could include taking long baths or showers, wrapping up in blankets, or cuddling a pet or cushion (Moralles Brown, L., 2021).
How: An art experiment / A commentary
Why in VR: Visual + sound + haptic feedback
Video chatting, he said, is about 80 percent as effective as in-person contact. (Center et.al, 2020).
So VR will be more effective? Maybe? We will see -> that is why art experiment
So what?: TBD
THESIS
In my written thesis I will discuss how multisensory stimuli (haptic, visual, sound) in VR elicit a greater feeling of embodiment and ownership and thus allow the user to expose themselves to a wide range of visual, sound, and haptic triggers/stimuli throughout the experience.
In virtual reality haptic feedback is available, this will lead me to propose that these triggers/stimuli are enhanced with haptic feedback.
Resources:
Center, T.M. & Pierce, S., 2020. Touch starvation is a consequence of COVID-19’s physical distancing. TMC News. Available at: https://www.tmc.edu/news/2020/05/touch-starvation/ [Accessed June 15, 2021].
Moralles Brown, L., 2021. Touch starved: Definition, symptoms, and coping. [online] Medicalnewstoday.com. Available at: <https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/touch-starved#symptoms> [Accessed 7 July 2021].