The Enactive Torch: A New Tool for the Science of Perception
IEEE Transactions on Haptics October 27, 2011 Tom Froese, Marek Mcgann, William Bigge et al. 94 citations
The enactive approach to cognition emphasizes that meaningful perceptual experience arises from goal-directed bodily activity. Building on insights about practical tool-use, this work defines an 'enactive interface' as one that augments sense-making. The authors introduce the Enactive Torch, a custom-built device, and present a study of its experiential effects. Results show that the user experience is not captured by any standard perceptual modality; instead, it is a new feeling mediated by the device's design and shaped by the task situation. The findings suggest that engineering and cognitive science should collaborate to create experience-centered technology that serves as a transparent medium for augmenting natural interaction skills.