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Clothing the homunculus

University of Canberra, Australia, stephen.barrass{at}canberra.edu.au

The concept of the homunculus, or `body in the brain', has been used by neuroscientists to explain bodily illusions such as the Shrinking Waist, the disappearance of limbs from conscious perception with stroke, and the sensations of phantom limbs. In this article, the author proposes that the homunculus can also provide a theoretical basis for the design of wearable interfaces and information systems. This idea is explored in a series of practice-led experiments with textile interfaces. The first experiment, called ZiZi the Affectionate Couch, is a couch that responds with a tactile `purring' when it is stroked. Visitors to exhibitions of the couch have commented on the positive effects this tactile responsiveness has had on autistic children in their care. The next experiment, called Scruffy Scallyscrap, is a prototype of an actively tactile textile, called a `taxtile', that co-locates tactile input and output in the same textile substrate. The most recent development is a `nerve extension button' designed to connect a taxtile to the tactile sensations of the wearer. Ten of these buttons have been sewn on the inside of a fashion concept garment called Fauxy the Fake Fur with Feelings. In further work, Fauxy will be used to explore what effects these nerve extensions might have on the bodily perceptions and behaviours of the wearer.

Key Words: animated cloth • fashion • haptic • nerves • skin • tactile • taxtile • textile

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