Publication:

PiloNape: electrostatic artificial piloerection for affecting emotional experiences

Piloerection is a strong affective reaction that occurs in human beings. In this project, we induce artificial piloerection using contactless electrostatics to enhance the affective response of users when they are interacting with computer systems. Firstly, we design and compare various high-voltage generators in terms of the static charge, safety and frequency response with different electrodes as well as grounding strategies. Secondly, a psychophysics user study revealed which body parts are more sensitive to electrostatic piloerection and what adjectives are associated with them; the wrist and the nape were the most sensitive parts. Finally, we combine a generator with a head mounted display to add artificial piloerection to virtual experiences of fear. We hope that these findings allows designers to use contactless piloerection in affective experiences such as music, short movies, videogames or exhibitions.