Somatic Integrity: When Limits Define the Artifact

Abstract This manuscript examines bodily-facing technologies—such as immersive interfaces, neuroadaptive systems, haptics, wearables, and assistive devices—that act on physiological states through cumulative exposure over time. It argues that for such systems, operative limits are not optional configuration settings but constitutive boundaries of the artifact itself: without declared, verifiable, and enforceable limits, artifact identity becomes indeterminate and can drift while remaining socially perceived as unchanged. The paper introduces the concept of somatic integrity as an artifact-level property requiring bounded exposure governance, enforceable constraints, and minimal traceability sufficient for accountability without surveillance. Reframing safety and ethics as identity-defining features rather than external compliance layers, the work provides a philosophy-of-technology framework applicable to engineering, clinical governance, and policy contexts concerned with sustained bodily intervention.