Tangible, Physical and Embodied Computing: Theory & Philosophy

Tangible, physical and embodied computing differ from other areas of HCI research in that they share a philosophical underpinning whereby body, action and mind are (re)unified. This contrasts with branches of HCI research, such as rule-based modelling of user interfaces, which are predicated on an ‘ideal’ user who is rational and disembodied, acting in a logical, sequential manner.

Developments in tangible, physical and embodied computing reflect a broader theoretical shift across many disciplines away from the modernist project with its striving towards ‘objectivity’ and towards a postmodern perspective where the inherent subjectivity of user-experience is accepted and embraced. For HCI this means developing interfaces which allow for users being physical and social beings who make meaning and understand the world through their actions and interactions with ‘things’ and each other. As such, tangible computing embeds digital technology in physical objects with which users can interact using their bodies rather than just by manipulating graphics on a screen.

When reading this literature I was reminded of a story I heard several years ago about how widespread mobile phone use amongst young people in Japan was changing how they used their thumbs – for example, using thumbs to flick a light switch instead of fingers (and according to this NY Times article, literally changing their bodies by making thumbs more muscular!). I was also thinking of those anecdotal tales parents tell of handing their child a book only to see them try to swipe the pages as if they were an iPad. Whether there is much empirical evidence for either of these phenomena I’m not sure but what these stories highlight is that GUI and TUI do not exist in isolation. As we become more accustomed to interacting with screens (and screens become more ubiquitous) will this influence how we respond to physical objects and therefore how tangible computing is, in turn, designed?

To find papers for our conference session on ‘theory and philosophy of tangible computing’ I searched for ‘philosophy AND tangible computing’ and ‘embodied computing’ on ACM and Google.

The three papers I have chosen to share are:

1. ‘An introduction to embodiment and digital technology research: interdisciplinary themes and perspectives’: I chose this because I liked the interdisciplinary focus and the way this paper spelled out the different philosophical underpinnings of embodied computing. 
2. ‘Getting in touch’ – chapter two of ‘Where the action is’ by Dourish: I chose this because it is written in an engaging style and appears to be considered part of the canon of HCI embodied computing writing.
3. ‘Towards a new set of ideals: consequences of the practice turn in tangible interaction’: I chose this because I liked the way the authors linked theoretical themes to practical considerations when designing tangible interfaces.