Present-At-Body Self-Awareness In Equestrians: Exploring Embodied ;Feel' Through Tactile Wearables

We are interested in novel interactive uses of pressure sensors and vibration actuators that can augment the role of physicality for embodied human perception and experience. Specifically, we explore how wearable technology can be used to provide more realistic present-at-body self-awareness in equestrians. Self-awareness of a rider's own physical cues (output) and how a horse responds (input) requires practice to attain objective adjustment. In this paper we present a proof of concept prototype aimed at providing ways to bridge the gap between rider output perception and reality. Our prototype couples pressure data gathered at specific points of the body in real-time with non-audiovisual tactile vibration feedback that is also site-specific. Our design is intended to enable an effective way for riders to learn about asymmetries in seat-related pressure by providing a present-at-body self-awareness of pressure points.