Wearable environments: Reconfiguring human-machine-environment relations

Motivation - The main motivation of this research is to gain a better understanding of dynamic agency between human, machine and environment relations mediated by a synthesis of wearable computing and smart environments technologies.

Research approach - The study follows a research through design approach. There are two main stages of the study involving a series of workshops involving designed prototype systems with different configurations. The prototype systems are designed based on the idea of "Wearable Environments" combining wearable computing and smart environments approaches to ubiquitous computing together. The interactions between prototype systems and human participants are analysed from a post-phenomenological perspective.

Findings/Design - The preliminary workshop study showed that the perception and interpretation of sonic and tactile feedbacks and consequently the strategies of subjects were highly dependent on the places of wearable devices attached to.

Research limitations/Implications - The study deals with only low-level cognitive actions and microperception shaping the machine-mediated human agency.

Originality/Value - The research will clarify some critical dimensions and aspects of complex phenomenon of agency in service of designing wearable environments by synthesizing the approaches of the fields of wearable computing and smart environments.

Take away message - Wearable environments with enactive interfaces can provide unique opportunities for investigating and reconfiguring various forms of human-machine-environment relations.