i_mBODY Lab Demonstrates: Body Transformation Experiences with Multisensory Wearables

Body perception is plastic, continuously shaped by multisensory and sensorimotor cues that technology can leverage to influence body experience, behavior, and emotion. This demo presents Body Transformation Experiences (BTEs) enabled through multisensory wearables, supporting perceptual changes of body weight, size, boundaries, and movement qualities like effort. We bring four wearable prototypes from the i_mBODY Lab: SoniWeight Shoes changes footsteps sounds to alter perceived weight; SoniBand sonifies exertion movements, modulating perceived weight and physical effort; SoniStretch produces a pitch glide when pulling a body part, creating elongation or shrinking sensations; and VibrOut uses targeted muscle vibration to create the illusion of movement while remaining still. This demo is relevant to researchers working on body-based and multisensory experiences. Our prototypes act as sensitizing artifacts leveraging body plasticity as a design material, prompting discussion on which BTEs are worth designing for, and how to design/study them to shape future human–technology relationships.