Re:Making Sense (2021)

The “Re:Making SENSE” series was created in 2021 as a platform to bring together researchers, artists, designers, and practitioners working within the field of sensory augmentation. This event fostered interdisciplinary dialogue to explore the philosophical, ethical, creative, scientific, and technological aspects of augmenting human sensory and perceptual abilities. The discussions aimed to broaden understanding and fuel innovation by engaging multiple perspectives on sensory enhancement.

 

Event Focus:

Session #1: Challenges and Opportunities for Sensory Augmentation

The inaugural session of “Re:Making SENSE” set out to assess the current state of sensory augmentation. It delved into key questions regarding obstacles to widespread adoption of sensory enhancement technologies, advances in understanding human perception, and the social and conceptual challenges shaping this emerging field.

 

Featured Speakers:

1. Marianna Obrist – Professor of Multisensory Interfaces at UCL
   Marianna’s research focuses on integrating touch, taste, and smell within human-computer interaction, applying these insights to areas including virtual reality, automotive design, and healthcare.
2. Scott Novich, Ph.D. – CTO & Co-founder, Neosensory
   Scott emphasized non-invasive sensory augmentation through touch and highlighted the potential of low-power, scalable systems tailored to human sensory receptors.
3. Liviu Babitz – CEO & Co-founder, CyborgNest
   Liviu discussed “Plug n Be” devices, sharing his perspectives on the prolonged process the brain undergoes in adapting to new sensory inputs, likening it to the sensory learning journey of infants.
4. Madeline Schwartzman – Artist, Author, Educator
   Madeline’s work was presented as an exploration of perception-altering art and technology, tracing developments in human sensorium from the 1960s onwards.

Series Goals

The “Re:Making SENSE” series aimed to foster ongoing engagement and exchange among professionals in the sensory augmentation community. This session was the first in a series designed to stimulate collaborative dialogue across disciplines and encourage new inquiries into the future possibilities of sensory enhancement technologies.