Abstract: The Alien Between Us is an interactive art installation created by multidisciplinary artist Laura A Dima. It explores how technology can facilitate intimate co-located interactions beyond traditional (audio-visual) communication systems. This art project uses haptic technologies and biofeedback to simultaneously connect two audience members. Two identical sculptures serve as interfaces that simulate biometric data, such as heart and breathing rates, to create emotional feedback loops between participants. The project investigates how mediated social touch (MST) and physiological mirroring can attune participants to each other’s affective states. The installation offers a somatic language of mutual care to be incorporated alongside consent protocols. It challenges the disembodied nature of digital culture by emphasising bodily awareness and interconnectedness. The sculptures are not merely passive haptic devices; rather, they play an active role in the interaction. Their agency is expressed through a self-defence mechanism that deploys transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) when boundaries are breached, signalling discomfort. In this way, the technological bodies actively participate and assist human participants in navigating the ethics of touch. This paper documents the conceptual framework, technical design, and public reception of the work using a research-through-design approach. It contributes to discussions on digital intimacy, embodied interaction, and the role of artworks as haptic interfaces in cultivating empathy towards the human and non-human agents alike.

Citation:

L. A. Dima, N. Marcus, D. Shor and G. Huisman, “Embodied Care and Consent in Mediated Social Touch Interactions: A Study of the Interactive Artwork The Alien Between Us,” in IEEE Transactions on Haptics, doi: 10.1109/TOH.2026.3708988.

Keywords: Art ; Design methodology; Technology; Human computer interaction; Feedback; Haptic interfaces; Consent; Permission