The semiotics of physical human augmentation. Contextual empowerment of human-augmentation products.

The objective of this study is to develop a research-based framework for the development of human-augmentation products that strengthen the user's identity or capabilities by capturing contextual and physiological user input. Human augmentation is an interdisciplinary field that aims to enhance and amplify human abilities. It comprises many different types of technological apparatuses such as prosthetics, orthotics, and physically assistive devices that replace missing or lost functions, exoskeletons that extend physical abilities, or heads-up-displays using augmented reality or virtual reality. Human augmentation can be divided in three main categories: mental augmentation – which enhances human cognition, sensory augmentation – which enhances human senses, and physical augmentation – which enhances human actions. Initially, the majority of efforts towards human augmentation focused on the improvement of physical abilities, while in the 20th century, due to progress in microelectronics, augmentation has been extended by advanced sensing and cognitive improvements. Within this study, the focus lies on visible and body-near human-augmentation products, and thus primarily on physical augmentation. Physical human augmentation further includes cosmetic augmentation (e.g. anaplastology or orthodontics), functional augmentation (e.g. prosthetics or powered exoskeletons) and medical augmentation (e.g. implants or bionic lenses). When developing these human-augmentation products, industrial designers and medical experts primarily focus on the user's urgent and objective needs, such as basic functionality, usability and safety. With a focus on functionality and physical characteristics at the expense of personal user aspects, they do not succeed in expressing and encouraging their users' concerns, identities and lifestyles. Accordingly, we focus on the semiotic (visual) and functional interaction between user, context and human-augmentation product. A well-designed human-augmentation device should have the ability to positively influence the bystanders' perception, resulting in an improved self-expression and self-confidence for the user. The corresponding main research question comprises "How can human-augmentation products be developed in such way that they strengthen the user's individual and contextual identity, increasing user-product attachment, user well-being and respect social values and ethical boundaries?". In the context of this design research, an overarching framing methodology of research through design (RtD) will be applied. RtD is an evolving research process that embeds design as a research means in order to generate new knowledge. This doctoral project is divided in four work packages (WP's). After thoroughly reviewing the state of the art literature (WP1: 'understand'), the research focuses on the exploration of the design context through prototyping for specific use cases (WP2: 'conceptualize') and validation by assessing the social impact of the prototypes in real-life experiments (WP3: 'measure'). For each use case cycle (one use case per year), two to three dynamic human-augmentation prototypes will be evaluated both qualitatively and quantitatively on their stigma-eliciting potential in real-life conditions. As a reference during the experiments of each use case cycle, subjects wearing the newly-developed prototypes will be compared to subjects wearing classic, currently available human-augmentation products and to subjects wearing nothing. After each conceptualization and measurement cycle, insights and results will be steered towards implementation of new knowledge and tools (WP4'). The study will bridge the current technical and user-centred imbalance in the industrial design engineering of human-augmentation products. The resulting framework will comprise design methodology, design recommendations for the development of human-augmentation products and measuring techniques to validate design decisions.

Keywords:ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY, DESIGN RESEARCH, DESIGN

Disciplines:Rehabilitation engineering, Human-centred design