SKIN Embodied Navigation through WiFi Traffic using Vibro-Tactile Feedback

In today's world, radio waves are an integral element of our daily lives but they are mostly hidden to human perception. In this paper we present SKIN, a wireless wearable system that creates a new interface between the human and WiFi signals employing sensory augmentation. SKIN translates nearby WiFi data transmissions into a vibrotactile experience to alter the perception of the space around the human body. It is designed as a tool for examining how an embodied experience of the invisible waves affects our relation to both the physical environment as well as to the technology emitting the insensible dimension. We present the design and implementation as well as the results of two exhibitions in which SKIN was worn by 17 participants that demonstrate how SKIN helps to interpret and alters the perception of the built environment.