Chemical interfaces: new methods for interfacing with the human senses

Abstract

Since the advent of computer interfaces, significant strides have been made toward providing high-fidelity visual, auditory, and haptic experiences. However, stimulating the senses of smell, taste, and temperature has sorely stagnated over the last century, primarily due to the field's dependence on adapted methods from mechanical and robotic engineering. I posit that novel interfacing techniques are necessary to engage the human senses fully. My research explores the integration of these underutilized yet crucial senses by investigating a new class of devices termed “chemical interfaces.” These devices manipulate the human senses by interfacing with our perceptions’ biochemical cascades through carefully selected chemicals. Unlike conventional approaches originating from robotics or mechanical engineering, chemical interfaces provide distinctive affordances. My research illustrates several such affordances, including reduced power consumption for thermal feedback, miniaturized versatile mechanisms for haptics, and new interactions for taste via chemical selectivity. My approach lays a promising foundation for incorporating these rich senses into our digital interactions and, maybe in the future, influencing how we engage with our food and the air we breathe in our everyday life.