الثلاثاء، 24 يناير 2012

Culture Designer creates machines for self-punishment



Artists Sventlana Mikhailova has created a series of machines designed for self-punishment, including one that slaps the user around the face using a wooden spoon.
The other machines in the series of three are one designed for punching the user in the stomach and another featuring a biting jaw into which you place your fingers.
Mikhailova had the idea when she was exploring physical and psychological pain. She told Wired.co.uk: "I remembered that almost all religious practices accept self-harm as a means of purification from their sins. It looks like in the contemporary world we don't use self-punishment any more, but in fact we still use psychological punishment."

The project -- which was built as part of the Tangible Interaction Course at the Oslo School of Architecture and Design -- explores the meaning of self-punishment today. She asks: "Are soul-searching, self-effacement, sorrow and self-incrimination psychological disorders or signals strength which allow you to move on?"

"Face Slap" is a wooden spoon mounted on a revolving axis. It's controlled by pushing a button on the machine's base. "Kick in the Stomach" -- essentially one of those cartoonish boxing gloves attached to an extendable frame -- is controlled by a handle. Meanwhile "Biting Jaw" is an Arduino-powered set of dentures which feature a sensor that detects when your finger is inside.

"The biggest challenge was the slap tool," she said. "The motor should be powerful enough to slap the face and an ordinary servo couldn't do that. I destroyed a can opener and an old mixer before finding the right motor for it."

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