Demonstrating Fluito: A playful floatation tank experience
Maria Fernanda Montoya, Yuyang Ji, Sarah Jane Pell, Florian Mueller · 2023
The use of technologies for interactions in bodies of water has fostered the WaterHCI field. However, the interactive systems proposed for water activities have, so far, primarily focused on supporting instrumental and performance aspects. In contrast, the use of interactive technology for experiential purposes, such as water play, appears to be underexplored. We designed Fluito, a playful floatation tank experience, to expand discovery potentials. Fluito has a unique combination of technology (a floatation tank, a virtual reality headset, a heart rate sensor, and a pneumatic system) that leverages water affordances to create and amplify different experiences, such as play, relaxation, and bodily illusions. The CHI community will benefit from our prototype through the novel experiences it affords, difficult to describe in words, and the first-hand accounts it can facilitate, which is useful for inspiring the design community towards future playful water experiences.