Tickle Salon

When a human being is gently stroking someones back, sooner or later tiredness and slackening will appear. Therefore Erwin Driessen & Maria Verstappen have developed Tickle Salon: a robotic installation based on the concept of automated stroking. A machine that is able to stroke you with an indefatigable attention and subtleness.
Tickle Salon is an installation that roughly consists of three parts: A robot attached to the ceiling, a bed standing on the floor and a human being lying on the bed.
The robot uses a suspended probe to grope and feel the surface underneath. Gradually, the robot develops an image of the body that is lying on the bed. Using its imagination, the robot is able to execute sensitive movements over the skin surface. It aims to be smart, smooth and unpredictable.
In the room, a human being is lying on a bed. In between the bed and the ceiling, a suspended feeler is attached to four threads. The feeler can be moved around freely by varying the length of the four threads. This is achieved by computer controlled stepper motors that wind and unwind the treads. The feeler can reach any position in three-dimensional space, in between the bed and the ceiling. At each moment in time, the feeler knows exactly where it is.

I actually never had the chance to try the machine. But it is something I would like to experience. I've met the artists who've done the project, they're a very nice couple, open and inspiring people. If you want to know more about the rest of their project you can visit here.