Foreign Bodies – The Creation of Symbiotic Jewellery through the Development and Application of Stimulus-Responsive Smart Materials and Microelectromechanical Systems

Abstract:

With the increased prevalence of digital technologies in our everyday lives, the questions posed to the contemporary craft practitioner regarding creation of an emotionally resonant interaction between the digitally enhanced object and its wearer have become progressively more prominent in the applied arts. Through examining the notion that human biology is a part of material culture, where the body can be shaped, customised or altered through surgical intervention and scientific innovation, this extended abstract explores how recent developments in material science and wearable technologies can be viewed as contiguous rather than oppositional to the organic processes of the human body and how to bridge the gap between the craft practitioner and scientific discovery. More immediately however, this research project challenges the perception of smart materials and their application within the field of contemporary jewellery in both an artistic and scientific context through proposing the development of symbiotic stimulus-reactive jewellery organisms. Potential practical applications of these jewellery objects exist in the areas of human–computer interaction, transplant technology, identity management and artificial body modification including prosthetics, where such symbiotic jewellery organisms could be used to develop visually engaging yet multifunctional enhancements of the body.

• Periodical: Advances in Science and Technology (Volume 81)
• Pages: 49-54
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AST.81.49
• Online since: September 2012
• Authors: Katharina Vones
• Keywords: Contemporary Craft, Microelectromechanical Systems, Smart Materials, Smart Metals, Smart Polymers, Stimulus-Responsive Jewellery, Studio Jewellery

References

[1] P. Lichty, Building a culture of ubiquity, Intelligent Agent Magazine, Vol.8.1 (2008), retrieved from http://www.intelligentagent.com

[2] J. Wallace, M. Press, All this useless beauty: the case for craft practice in design for a digital age, The Design Journal , 7 (2004) 42–53.

DOI: 10.2752/146069204789354417

[3] J. Wallace, Emotionally charged: a practice-centred enquiry of digital jewellery and personal emotional significance, retrieved from http://www.digitaljewellery.com/

[4] J. Wallace, D. Jackson, C. Ladha, P.Olivier, A. Monk, M. Blythe, P. Wright, Digital jewellery and family relationships, retrieved from http://homepages.cs.ncl.ac.uk/p.l.olivier/Publications_files/OlivierFACTa07.pdf

[5] S. Kettley, Framing the ambiguous wearable, Convivio Web-Zine (2005), retrieved from http://daisy.cti.gr/webzine/Issues/Issue%202/Articles/Framing%20the%20ambiguous%20wearable/index.html

[6] S. Kettley, Crafting the wearable computer – design processes and user experience, retrieved from http://www.scribd.com/doc/5146612/Crafting-the-Wearable-Computer-design-process-and-user-experience-thesis-Vol-1

[7] S. Kettley, Crafts praxis for critical wearables Design, Proceedings Wearable Futures Conference, University of Wales, Newport (2005). Also in AI & Society Vol. 22 (2007) 5-14.

DOI: 10.1007/s00146-006-0075-0

[8] D. Humphrey, Strategies for engaging with digital technologies in the development of future jewellery, Presentation given at the Methods Network Seminar Blue Skies and Singing Rings: Digital Technologies and Jewellery of the Future (2006), retrieved from http://www.arts-humanities.net/node/1182

[9] L. Williams, Technology, jewellery and medicine, Presentation given at the Methods Network Seminar Blue Skies and Singing Rings: Digital Technologies and Jewellery of the Future, retrieved from http://www.arts-humanities.net/node/1183

[10] P. Wright, J. Wallace, J. McCarthy, Aesthetics and experience-centred design, ACM Trans. Comput.-Hum. Interact. 15, 4 (2008) Article 18

DOI: 10.1145/1460355.1460360

[11] S. Kettley, Visualising social space with networked jewellery, retrieved from http://www.sarahkettleydesign.co.uk/sarahkettley/publications_sarah_kettley__files/Visualising%20Social%20Space%20with%20Networked%20Jewellery.pdf

[12] T. Saburi, Ti-Ni shape memory alloys, in K. Otsuka, C.M Wayman (Eds.), Shape memory materials, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1998, pp.49-97.

[13] M. Di Ventra, Y.V Pershin, Memory materials: a unifying description, Mater Today, Vol. 14, (2011) 584-591.

DOI: 10.1016/s1369-7021(11)70299-1

[14] M. Behl, A. Lendlein, Shape-memory polymers, Mater Today, Vol.10, (2007) 20-28

[15] T. Ikeda, T. Ube, Photomobile polymer materials: from nano to macro, Mater Today, Vol. 14, (2011) 480-487.

DOI: 10.1016/s1369-7021(11)70212-7

[16] K. Uchino, Shape memory ceramics, in K. Otsuka, C.M Wayman, (Eds.), Shape memory materials, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1998, pp.184-203.

[17] N. Cherry, Grow your own – angiogenetic body adornment, in SCAN Journal of Media Arts and Culture, Vol. 3 No. 3 (2006)

[18] For further information http://www.biojewellery.com/

[19] M. Miodownik, The case for teaching the arts, Mater Today, Vol.6 (2003) pp.36-42.