What if a technical machine takes over a role as emotional as a therapist? Will the non-judgmental and unbiased nature of the machine make the experience of physical therapy more trustworthy?

Haptic communication has been proven to be an effective way to develop intimate connections. Through a journey of discovery, exploration, and self-reflection, the user will establish a healthy relationship with oneself, which is the ultimate form of self-care. The non-conventional aesthetic of the x-ray is a metaphor for the internal reflection of the true self.

As you enter the scene, you come face to face with an approachable and soft looking object, the shape of which encourages you to interact with it. The user may touch, poke, punch or hug this object.

Beyond the translucent screen, another object catches your attention and when you go around it, you may be taken aback by its aesthetic. The mechanical parts hazily covered in translucent fabric makes us question whether to approach this thing but when we do, the machine responds with familiar actions, which we realize is the translation of our initial input on the other machine. Like a ritual, the user goes back again and again until they reach an ideal state.

Starting from curiosity and hesitation, and then moving through negative, destructive, and emotional outbursts and eventually settling into peace and self-acceptance, the user will slowly develop a bond with the machine and in turn, themselves.

Forsell, L. M., & Åström, J. A. (2012). Meanings of Hugging: From Greeting Behavior to Touching Implications. Comprehensive Psychology, 1. https://doi.org/10.2466/02.17.21.CP.1.13