Inspiration
One of the inspirations for this project comes from Homo Cellular, a creative costume design by Satomi Minoshima. It visualizes our mobile strokes as patterns on garments, which look like a new language. The invisible strokes we leave on our screen show the interaction and relation between us and our phones
I found that we swipe and tap the phone screens so often every day, interacting with our phones with different hand gestures. The gestures can be regarded as a communication tool for acquiring news and talking with others, which is like a brand-new language. Deaf people also interact with the world and communicate with others through sign language. Based on such consideration, I think the two phenomena can be connected fascinatingly.
Research
In my daily life, whether on the subway or in line, I noticed that everyone was silently playing with their phones. Despite the fact that the surrounding area was quiet and everyone appeared to be isolated from the rest of the world, they did not stop "communicating." Some were amused by funny videos, while others were enthusiastically chatting with their friends or groups. Similarly, when I saw deaf people arguing, they gestured fiercely with each other but made no sound.
Exploring the world through phones has many drawbacks, as information on the Internet is limited, and information bias can even lead to virtual violence. Communication on phones via texts lacks emotion, which leads to misunderstanding.
It seems that the deaf and hard of hearing can easily have access to the news through the sign language translations shown on TV, but the translations are of the official "Chinese Sign Language" that is made by the able-bodied. Deaf people use natural sign language, and they do not know this official version, which can only be understood by those who know Chinese grammar.
Voice can travel through walls, but sign languages, depending on sights, can't do that. What's more, the deaf and hard of hearing can hardly communicate with those without disabilities, even through texts, as the differences in languages will cause semantic misunderstandings.
I once noticed news about the difficulties of the deaf delivers. They are often misunderstood because their grammar and word order are different from other people's. In other peoples' eyes, their language logic is stiff, affecting the emotions they are trying to express with gestures. As a result, it's hard for them to communicate with others.
I first learned about the concept Chinese Room in a college course on artificial intelligence. According to this theory, an individual who only speaks English would be in a room responding to Chinese characters hidden beneath the door using a computer program.
By following the translation of the computer program, he sends appropriate strings of Chinese characters back out under the door, and this leads those outside to mistakenly suppose there is a Chinese speaker in the room
In my understanding, a computer can run programs to give the illusion that it communicate with human without understanding the content. Therefore, man and machine cannot communicate and understand each other. Similarly, it is difficult for deaf people to communicate and comprehend the world, as well as when people try to understand each other through electronic media.ugh electronic media.
Ideas
Sketch
The final concept, the bricks of the wall consist of 0-1 characters representing the computer, and the hand is installed with many mini-buttons, and each button represents a letter, symbolizing the keyboard of the phone.
The model hand moves slightly under the operation of the steering gear, attracting the viewer to hold hands with the model, and the process of shaking hands is equivalent to picking up a cell phone.
On the back of the wall, the viewers can see how they communicate with the model hand with the projection of asks and answers between a machine hand in sign language and the viewer.
The viewers can only realize that they are having a “conversation” with the machine behind the wall, just like the concept of a Chinese Room, the communication between human and machine is hard to be truly understood.
While holding the hands, the viewer will press the buttons on the model hand, which will act as a keyboard to type different letters on the wall. This process will be recorded by the camera.
The machine hand displays the linguistic logic of official Chinese sign language, where each gesture corresponds to a letter of the alphabet, which is difficult for the deaf to master and comprehend, thus showing the limitations and difficulties people have in communication.
I made the model of the machine hand behind the wall with Blender, including 26 different gestures of the alphabet with purple sci-fi texture
Models
Working
Process
I made the frame of the hand with PVC material, dug holes on the back of the hand and fixed a button with hot-melt adhesive.
The frame of the fingers is made of hoses and wrapped with tapes forming the shape of fingers. Fishing lines are attached to the fingertip, and the other side of the lines is connected to a steering gear that controls the fingers to move. In the end, I covered the hand with a skin-like glove.
Outcomes
The fingers of the model are moving up and down to attract viewers to come forward and shake its hand.
While shaking hands with the model, viewers will touch the button on the model hand, and then there will be letters projected on the wall, moving slowly with purple-blue light.
On the model's hand is a silicone glove that feels like natural skin, which makes the model like a real person. Fake fingernails are attached to enhance the feeling.
The camera beside the installation will record the interaction between viewers and the model, which is regarded as communicating through sign language.
The back of the installation reveals the inner behavior of the viewers, the communication between humans and machines. Obviously, the communication is poorly finished.