The Hedonic Haptic Player

In this design case we present the Hedonic Haptic Player—a wearable device that plays different patterns of vibrations on the body as a form of music for the skin. With this we begin to explore the enjoyability of vibrations in a wearable set-up. Instead of implementing vibrations as a haptic output for some form of communication we want to explore their hedonistic value. The process leading up to the Hedonic Haptic player served as a first step in getting a grasp of the design space of vibrotactile stimuli in a broader sense. This is reported as seven episodes of explorations. The Hedonic Haptic player is currently equipped with three compositions, including an ambient, a rhythmic, and a combination of the two. We explore the value of the experiences they afford through two types of design critique, one from external experts and one auto-critique. We conclude that the vibrotactile stimuli we have created seems to be an acquired taste but that they can indeed create some novel and enjoyable experiences.