Skintimacy: Exploring interpersonal boundaries through musical interactions

Abstract

With 'Skintimacy' we present a skin-based interface for a collaborative musical performance. The experimental setup is intended to be both an evocative tool for interpersonal interaction and touch, as well as an alternative digital musical instrument. By integrating the human skin and touch into the musician-computer interface, we propose a bodily-close haptic and emotional experience. Our intention, our research question, the system design, and first observations of this phenomenological experience are outlined below.