Haptic holograms at sensory conference

A decade ago, I attended my first academic conference as a presenter, a gathering called VisComm. It's still going, and it still has the most alluring description of itself online:

The Visual Communication Conference is an un-organized conference. There is no association, no board, no dues, no official membership. It is an annual get-together of people passionate about Visual Communication and it is that passion that makes it the most satisfying, most creative four days you will ever experience.

They're not kidding.

Back then, it was a group of about 40 scholars, and because the group was small and the room large, everyone presented to everyone — no breakouts, no attendance decisions. The passion was indeed satisfying, the feedback rich and encouraging, the atmosphere collegial and fun. I was excited — this is what all academic conferences are like? Sign me up for more! Within a year I'd attended NCA and ICA and learned just how massive, impersonal, and CV-stamping the dues-paying conclaves can be.

But this week Jason Archer and I experienced more small-conference joys, presenting our ongoing theoretical research into the experiences of haptic holograms in Montreal at Uncommon Senses V, a gathering of sensory-studies scholars. The program was full of fascinating sights and sounds — and more, like the intriguing study of how Soviet-era cars smelled or the political implications of heat sensors inside rent-controlled New York apartments.

Since our joint paper last fall, we've continued examining how meanings are made through the addition of touch to encounters with 3D digital imagery. Many projects around the world are experimenting with different ways to afford this extra sense to programmed interfaces, using a variety of methods (jets of air, sonic waves, excited plasma, etc.). Thanks to the motley crew that turned out for our talk, especially for the thoughtful and lively Q&A, which has urged us on with the project. Watch this space for more.