Enactive Torch © Tom Froese
The Enactive Torch One very relevant development in the context of multimodality is often overlooked: sensory substitution, which is the translation of stimuli for one sensory modality to that of another. The reason why this development is often ignored in this context is, arguably, that for a very long time the last groundbreaking work on the topic was centred on very bulky and not very accessible technology, developed by Bach-y-Rita in the 1970s. The technology has, however, received a fair amount of attention over recent years; the principle of sensory substitution is now widely accepted as a fundamental proof for the theory that perception is the active, rather than the passive, receiving of stimuli. Various high-tech applications implementing sensory substitution have been developed (one of which, the Brainport Vision System, was also shown on video by Graham Smith during his presentation), but the principle of sensory substitution can also be demonstrated using a relatively simple and user friendly new device: the Enactive Torch. The Enactive Torch was developed by Tom Froese and Adam Spiers. Froese demonstrated the device to the Test_lab audience. Starting from his research at the Center for Computational Neuroscience and Robotics at the University of Sussex and illustrating the empirical value of the Enactive Torch for the theory of active perception. Froese explained and showed in detail how the device transforms visual into haptic information by mapping an ultrasonic sensory input to vibration of the device. Scanning one’s surroundings with the Enactive Torch, handling it a bit like one uses a paintbrush, gives the somewhat awkward experience of
‘seeing’ with one’s hands; as vibrations are produced when the Enactive Torch’s ultrasonic beam hits an object or person in its surrounding. The device has recently received funding for the development of a next generation, indicating that research on and development of the Enactive Torch will continue in the context of blind aid devices and, as Froese emphasized, the arts. The popularity of the Enactive Torch during the demonstration session at Test_lab confirmed its potential for the latter. 69