10 seconds

TOUCH =
10 seconds
No touch,
I’m blind.
touchtouchy.com
Touch me,
I can see.
About
Touchy is a human camera – a wearable device that literally transforms a human being into a
functioning camera. The individual who is wearing the device is constantly “blinded” unless
someone touches his/her skin. The touch causes the shutters in front of the eyepieces to open
and restores the wearer’s vision. When physical contact is maintained for 10 seconds, the
camera takes a “Touch-Snap” (i.e., a photo that is taken by Touchy), which is displayed on the
device’s LCD.
DSD
Offline Communication
It is common for humans to be separated into social bubbles in order to avoid the need to share
social space and connect with strangers. However, online social technology loosens our social
boundaries, yet equally dehumanizes physical communication. Connecting with people can now
solely occur through our fingertips as conveniently as pushing a Facebook “Like” button or posting
a birthday wall post. Considering the urgency of such dehumanization, Touchy is devised to
encourage offline communication through touch and eye contact.
Touch and Eye contact
Joy and Happiness
Touchy hybridizes the roles of humans and cameras by unifying their respective capabilities.
The mechanical process of taking a photo is transformed into a physical touch and eye
contact. With these capabilities, Touchy becomes a magnet for physical contact by inviting
people (mostly strangers) to encounter such intimate and interpersonal interaction. The body
becomes a sensational interface and the eyes remain the window of the soul. Isn't it a lyrical
irony that touching someone and gazing into another’s eyes for 10 seconds gives life to one’s
self-portrait? Touchy reminds us of the importance of our human quality of communication.
Thanks to the equipped LED lights, Touchy always has sparkling eyes that are revealed by the
comical action of the shutters. The human camera has an affective and compelling appearance
that can immediately crack smiles. Laughter can be derived from speed-tapping to generate
playful shutter movements, unexpected touch spots, an awkward 10 seconds of eye contact,
and more. Touchy shakes off the coldness of technology, takes it to the street, and enables
human connections to become more pronounced.
PEOPLE
at
Hong Kong
The Power of Togetherness
A camera is a social device that is historically known for sharing memories, valuable
moments, enjoyment, emotions, beauty, and so forth. A group photo, for instance, requires us
to be physically together in the here and now. Touchy makes use of this unique property to
invite people to an engaging activity of photography, which not only brings together family and
friends, but also strangers who are fated to co-exist in the same place. The resulting
touch-snaps remind us of the ephemeral richness of togetherness.
Note: Touchy has a unique function – if multiple people hold hands together, the last person to touch
Touchy will also activate Touchy. Such a mechanism makes it possible to join people together to make
a human loop. The Technology section explains how the human loop works.
Beyond Camera Vision
It is difficult to put into words the experience of being a
camera. When facing an ordinary camera we are used to
behaving differently, such as by posing or making the
coolest/funniest facial expression. For touch-snapping,
versus confronting an inanimate lens, a pair of human
eyes directly sees you. There is a strong psychological
exchange throughout the process in which Touchy
observes unexpected reactions and transforming
emotions during every 10 seconds of eye contact. The
beauty that was originally a privilege that was extended
to an inanimate camera lens is
now available for human eyes,
SNAPPED
yet transcended into a soulful
experience that is irreplaceable
by looking through a viewfinder.
Social Concern
Touchy is an effective icebreaker that provides joy and happiness. With such a unique capability, it
can potentially turn itself into a social healing device by establishing a reciprocal relationship – the
wearer, who is caged in darkness, craves human touch, while “Toucha,” the person who touches
Touchy, offers assistance and receives a touch-snap through an effortless touch. The project then
investigates the possibility of healing social problems, such as “Hikikomori” in Japan, isolated senior
citizens, orphans, or those who experience social anxiety, which will most likely become more
common when human separation increases as a result of technology.
Touchy pursues to extend from being a performance device to an actual contribution to society. Since
the debut of Touchy, the artist has put himself into experiment throughout numerous performances.
He has experienced personal transformation after meeting vast amounts of people whom he
otherwise would not have met, seeing a great deal of smiling faces, and experiencing countless
friendly touches in thousands of touch-snaps.
Spread the Idea
facebook,
twitter, comics,
animation,
video
games, virtual girlfriend,
internet, internet, fastasy
world, Hikikomori, Otaku
social phobia, anixety disorder,
social anixety, social withdrawal,
facebook, twitter, comics, animation, video
games, virtual girlfriend, internet, internet,
fastasy world, Hikikomori, Otaku social phobia,
anixety disorder, social anixety, social withdrawal,
facebook, twitter, comics, animation, video games,
virtual girlfriend, internet, internet, fastasy world,
Hikikomori, Otaku social phobia, anixety disorder, social
anixety, social withdrawal, facebooktwitter, comics,
animation, video games, virtual
girlfriend, internet,
internet, fastasy world, Hikikomori,
Otaku, social
phobia social anixety, s o c i a l
disorder,
acebook, twitter, comics,
animation,
video games,
virtual
girlfriend,
internet,
internet, fastasy world,
Hikikomori, Otaku
social
phobia,
anixety
disorder,
s o c i a l
a n i x e t y .
Touchy is not exclusive to the artist himself. Within one minute of setup time, everybody can
become Touchy (however, the current version cannot accommodate certain head sizes.) We
want more people to experience being Touchy, but it is not easy to introduce the masses to
this unique form of art. Therefore, we make use of various forms of media, including cartoons
and video. Though the project criticizes virtual communication, we also use social media to
spread the idea because we appreciate its networking power. What Touchy really wants to
remind people is the balance of physical and virtual social lives.
Tehnology
Camera Helmet
Specification
To make possible a human camera, the artist
transposes the functions of a camera to a helmet
device through the use of custom electronics,
mechanical design, 3D modeling, and rapid
prototyping. The device comprises a pair of automated
shutters, a functioning camera, and an interactive
screen. The shutters are used to blind Touchy: only
another individual’s touch will activate the shutter’s
opening and allow Touchy to see. When human
contact is maintained for 10 seconds, the front-facing
camera captures an image, which is displayed on the
screen at the rear of the device and stored on a
micro-SD card.
Touchy Bulb
The Touchy Bulb bridges the connection between
Touchy and Toucha. When a Toucha grabs the bulb and
touches Touchy’s skin, the interaction will occur. The
bulb comprises a touch sensor, a pair of speakers, a
switch, and an LED light.
During a performance, Touchy holds the bulb and
occasionally presses the switch in order to play
recorded instructions. Given the fact that Touchy
performs in different countries, the local language of
instruction will be played. The LED emits colorful
lights for decorative purposes.
Touchy Box
Helmet receives sensor
signal wirelessly
The Touchy Bulb is connected to the Touchy Box, which
contains an Arduino, a touch sensor circuit, an
electrode, an audio module, an audio amplifier, and an
Xbee.
Closed
Circuit
The Arduino is the brain of the Touchy bulb. It takes
the sensor signal and transmits it wirelessly to the
helmet in order to activate the shutters. The touch
sensing is processed by a simple technology that uses
human contact to complete a small current circuit. An
electrode is attached to Touchy’s skin, which is one
end of the circuit. When a Toucha grabs the bulb (i.e.,
the other end of the circuit) and makes contact with
Touchy, the circuit is closed and a human-to-human
touch is therefore detected. Such mechanism makes
possible a human loop – If a Toucha grabs the bulb
and multiple people holding hands together will
result as extending the circuit, and the last one
touches Touchy will still complete the circuit as well.
Image size
640 x 480, 1600 x 1200
Pixel
2.0 megapixels CMOS Sensor
Image Format
JPG
Dimensions *
163mm (H) x 208mm (W) x 239mm (D)
Weight *
480g
Wearer’s Head Size limits
60cm circumference max
LCD Monitor
3.5 inch LCD touch screen, 320x240 pixels
Battery
12V, 4 hours openeration time
*excluding human body
Toucha
Touchy
Performance
Exhibition
Description
Touchy, while being escorted by an assigned assistant, will wander about the streets, and awaits the
opportunity to initiate interaction with passers-by. Touchy will hold the bulb so that the audio
instructions will play to provide guidance and attract bystanders. Upon encountering a potential
Toucha, Touchy will encourage him/her to touch him towards further interaction. Once the ice is broken,
the Toucha can take self-portraits, Touch-snaps or bring Touchy anywhere that he/she desires. After
playing with Touchy for a certain period of time, the Toucha will be informed of a Web site to download
the taken Touch-snaps later on. Once their collaboration is over, the Toucha leaves Touchy, and a new
journey begins.
Description
Through the performances, Touchy examines the culture of various cities and the ways in which people
interact with each other and respond to art and technology. Media art is always conceived as the artwork
that only happens at the moment or, say, within a certain period of time. However, Touchy and its
documentation archive represent a continuous study of offline relationships between people and devices by
demonstrating the evolvement of the city with a taste of fun. By connecting with people from all walks of
life, enjoying the artwork, and also revealing the cultural phenomena of a city, Touchy draws a significant
study on how technology invents and intervenes in people’s lives and the possibilities to heal society at
various levels.
The performance aims at providing intervention that draws people’s curiosity and encourages them to
communicate with a stranger. It provides a rare occasion, triggered by one’s desire for playful
discovery, to free the user’s creativity while using a human camera. Touchy’s intention is to generate
alternative and unexpected enlightenment in the common daily routine of a random pedestrian by
offering him/her a moment of serendipity. In addition to the mutual fun that is created through this
interaction, Touchy hopes that the experience will convey awareness for the social condition that is
expressed in the project and yield the user to reflect on this subject.
The Touchy journey is, therefore, as important as the device and its interaction. It is meant to be shared with
audiences in various media, including videos, photos, Touch-snaps, cartoons, and the Touchy Web site.
Requirement
One bilingual assistant (English and local language)
One cameraperson and photographer for documentation purpose
Exhibition requirement
The exhibition of Touchy is subject to change base on selected exhibiting materials.
Development Process
Awards
Touchy, Silver Award, Interactive Design, Best Digital Entertainment Award, The Hong Kong ICT
Awards 2014, Hong Kong, China
Touchy, First Prize, WRO 2013, 15th International Media Art Biennale, Wroclaw, Poland.
Touchy (project video), Best Picture, Robot Film Festival 2012, NYC, USA
Design & Prototype
11.2010
06.2011
Selected Performances
Foam board Prototype
Sketches
Early CAD Model
Hardware
Shutters and Motors
Circuit Design (Eagle)
Circuit Board
Scopitone, Nantes, France. (Upcoming)
Ars Electronica Festival 2014, Linz, Austria.
FILE 2014, São Paulo, Brazil.
Photohoku, Shinchimachi, Fukushima, Japan.
TEDxTokyo 2014, Hikarie, Tokyo, Japan.
Hong Kong Arts Development Council Project Grant, Hong Kong, China.
ISEA 2013, Sydney, Australia.
The Innovationists, K11 Art Mall, Hong Kong, China.
Pioneering Values, WRO 15th Media Art Biennalel, Wroclaw, Poland.
The Innovationists, Museum of Contemporary Art, Taipai, Taiwan.
The Utopia of Observation, Page One, CWTC and Indigo Shopping Mall, Beijing, China.
Share wit FIAT Symoposium 2012, Ebisu Garden Hall, Tokyo, Japan.
TEDxKids@Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan.
Zushi Media Art Festival 2012, Zushi, Japan.
Mobility x Fashion by People Design Institute, Tokyo, Japan.
New Context Conference 2012, Digital Garage, Tokyo, Japan.
Time Out Tokyo, Harajuku Kawaii 2012, Tokyo, Japan.
Selected Exhibitions
Device Art Exhibition, Ars Electronica Center, Linz, Austria.
FILE 2014, São Paulo, Brazil.
The Innovationists, K11 Art Mall, Hong Kong, China.
The Innovationists, Museum of Contemporary Art, Taipai, Taiwan.
Alchemy, Microwave International Media Art Festival 2011, Hong Kong, China.
Eyes LED Lights Testing
Selected Presentations
CAD Model
Foam Board Prototype
Talk, TEDxHongKong 2013, AsiaWorld Expo SkyCity Marriott Hotel, Hong Kong.
Talk, Digital Entertainment Summit, Filmart, HKTDC and HKDEA, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition
Center, Hong Kong, China.
Talk, PechaKucha Vol 113, Super Deluxe, Tokyo, Japan
Presentation, Google, Demo Party, Google Office, Roppongi Hills, Tokyo, Japan.
Artist Talk + Panel Discussion, “Click, Touch, Connect,” ISEA 2013 x Vivid Sydney, Museum of
Contemporary Art, Sydney, Australia.
Quotations
“Among the Internet society, there is a delusion about the easiness of discovering the world.
However, the real discovery of the world cannot happen on our own. Eric’s devise indicates this
subtle notion.”
Maywa Denki (artist & entrepreneur)
“The ten second touch is a great idea. It’s much longer than a casual handshake or hug: an
awkward social tension builds up, making the interaction meaningful and memorable.”
Andrew 'bunnie' Huang (entrepreneur & hacker)
“First time I met Touchy we were in a conference on a Saturday after lunch. We were sleepy,
serious faces, tired… And then Touchy appeared! We interacted with him and the mood in the
room totally changed. It was all laughs and smiles! It made my day!”
Hector Garcia, author of bestseller ‘Geek in Japan’
“Touchy can make people happy here and now. That’s its real charm.”
Adam Lindemann, Managing Partner at Mind Fund
“Opening and closing of the shutters of the camera (…) is transformed by Siu into a
psycho-social metaphor of the connections that regulate contemporary societies.”
Vito Campanelli, Neural Magazine
Credits
Artist
Eric Siu
Social Partner
Nextidevolution
Hardware and Software Development
Tomohiko Hayakawa and Eric Siu
Special Thanks to
Great Works Tokyo
Tomoko Hayashi
Takeoka Hideki
Hanako Kakuta
Sylwia Kunicka
Joel Kwong
Charles Ngan
Sam Ngan
My Family
PR and Marketing Director
Asia Fondue Skubisz
Project Adviser
Novmichi Tosa @ Maywa Denki
Selected Press
Technical Adviser
Alvaro Cassinelli and Carson Reynolds
(TV interview)
(TV interview)
(print)
touchtouchy.com
© 2014 Eric Siu All right reserved