Sound of Textile

Textiles communicate with Humans by their innate tactile qualities. They show a number of characteristics, which can be utilised specifically to convey information, such as whether or not objects are supposed to be touched. The Sound of Textile goes beyond natural affordances by expanding on these properties and initiating a dialogue between visitor and textile. This is accomplished by augmentation with additional capabilities, such as sensitivity to proximity and touch.

Humans tend to touch surfaces out of curiosity about their tactile properties and persist in case of a pleasant response. An example is petting a cat. It looks pleasant to touch and when the cat’s response is positive (by purring) and a causal relation to the interaction is obvious, the interaction carries on. This connection is also true for the opposite, as rejecting feedback is uninviting. Inspired by observations like these, the installation The Sound of Textile links textiles’ haptic properties to sound, in order to engage with the visitor and generate an effect similar to synesthesia.

The installation demonstrates seven textiles with unique tactile properties and according sonic experiences. The objective is to explore humans’ reaction to different features and their combinations.

With this installation, our research team opens the door for novel applications and interaction techniques in the sphere of smart and interactive textiles, which is affecting HCI in both science/technology and the arts.

The team (Media Interaction Lab): Thomas Preindl, Andreas Pointner, Mira Haberfellner, Roland Aigner, Rainer Danner, Michael Haller, Sara Mlakar