Project Details
[Return to Previous Page]Together, Tacit
Company: PSU College of Arts and Architecture 3
Major(s):
Primary: CMPSC
Secondary: ME
Optional: BME, CMPEN, ESC, IE
Non-Disclosure Agreement: NO
Intellectual Property: YES
“TOGETHER, TACIT” Tacit knowledge refers to something that one does automatically, after a period where it was once learned sequentially. A skill you do in a “flow state” would be considered your tacit knowledge. In May 2018, I participated in a tour at the Palmer Museum with the Sight Loss Support Group of Central PA, stood beside low vision and blind individuals, and watched as their hands moved over two sculptures I exhibited in their Plastic Entanglements: Ecology, Aesthetics, Materials exhibition. As I listened to a blind person translate my work through a sense of touch, it was clear that she was assembling forms in her mind, but I lacked the tools to access her visualization. Through my participation with these museum visitors, I became very interested in developing a project where the visually impaired and sighted could work together to build sculptures inspired by how both groups “see.” “Together, Tacit” proposes an inclusive experience between low vision, blind, and sighted individuals to exchange one another’s tacit knowledge, through the act of creative collaboration. One workflow employs the use of a haptic, virtual reality glove, which has a vibrational feedback system that simulates a sense of sculpting in virtual space. Movements by visually impaired participants get translated as three-dimensional marks. These virtual shapes get 3D printed and become tangible models which are used by *BVI and sighted team members to collaborate with. Collaborators begin to negotiate, communicate, and experience through the art making process to create a form that neither group, the sighted or visually impaired, could have built without the other. In this way, “Together, Tacit” aims to create a shared language that knits a meeting place between what we see, and how we know, through acts of experiencing, together. CURRENT DEVICE: The VR/haptic glove has been in development for two years (2021-2023) by Penn State Engineering undergraduate students, Paul Mittan, Director of Engineering Leadership Development; Professor of Practice, myself, and *BVI volunteers. The current device utilizes two main pieces of technology: a haptic glove using the Arduino platform and an Oculus virtual reality system that integrates a unique program with the Arduino to track and translate what the glove is doing in the physical space to the virtual environment. The haptics are delivered from 4 flex sensors and 6 haptic motors, with wiring routed through channels in a custom designed glove. Users can subtract or add three sizes of material. Audio cues exist so users can change between tools, or change the size of tool. Users can save and export to a mesh for 3D printing. *BVI stands for blind/visually impaired SP24 OBJECTIVES| DELIVERABLES: • Participate in a hands-on clay modeling demo led by Professor Collura to become familiar with how additive and reductive sculpting feels. • Reduce the total number of Oculus controllers required to be used by furthering a Summer 2023 prototype utilizing camera recognition software. • Implement a wireless connection between the hardware and software to eliminate cords in the sculpting space. • Develop additional audio cues that signify the amount of increased or decreased material being used • In collaboration with the project sponsor, develop a new glove design that will integrate an enhanced hardware solution for use with or without an Oculus controller (i.e. utilizing camera recognition). • Meet with BVI volunteers two times during the semester to receive guidance on usability. • Design & Assemble a minimum of four physical gloves (2 sizes, 2 configurations). One configuration for Development & Test and one configuration for Demonstration Purposes. • Develop BVI accessible packaging so the glove, and related hardware, can easily install in a public setting (think schools, community centers, hospitals, libraries). Bonnie Collura , Professor of Art. Penn State School of Visual Arts, College of Arts & Architecture.
