Blinklifier: A case study for prototyping wearable computers in technology and visual arts

Abstract

The Cybernetic Serendipity exhibition in 1968 [1] and the Computer in Art book in 1971[2] represent some remarkable initial approaches in collaborative art-technology projects. Over the years, projects have evolved through thinking influenced by other areas such as psychology, sociology and philosophy. Much of art theory and practice is exploratory and its outcomes may be challenging. The advent of novel materials and increasingly evolution of smaller and more affordable electronic components made it possible for anyone to make their own wearable devices. Moreover, people with different skills get together and share their knowledge to create new products. This work describes our prototyping process for developing wearable computers in multidisciplinary teams. In this paper, we present the implementation of our collaborative and iterative prototyping process in the development of Blinklifier, an art and technology project that amplifies human expressions and creates a feedback loop with the wearer. © 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.