Wearable technology and body mapping
Geoffrey Edwards · 2020
The process of body mapping may be viewed as a performative act. Here, an alternative performative act is presented and discussed – the wearing of immersive body maps. The idea of a wearable body map brings together several current trends in technology development, such as wearable computing, smart garments, and augmented reality, as well as blurring the line between computing infrastructures, fashion, art, and performance. Different kinds of wearable body maps may be created, depending on how these incorporate, or not, various interaction modalities. Hence, basic wearable body maps will be merely expressive. A basic body mapping app for such a context is presented. By combining this basic body mapping capability with data from other sensors, wearable body maps can be made more responsive to the environment. Once electronic sensors are incorporated, one can create more sophisticated interaction modalities, including proximal encounters with other persons and eventually remote encounters with larger collectives. Further, these developments may be understood in terms of an ecological framing theory, which not only directs the design process in an ethically aware manner but also offers the possibility of studying potential long-term impacts for mental health, both in terms of positive and negative outcomes.