Materials: Rice paper & microelectronics
Functions: Simulating human touch on the face
Application: As a face mask in the care sector or in hospitals
One group developed the speculative idea »Cozy Napkin« in the workshop. The group members contributed their own personal knowledge as an artist and architect, a biologist and science communicator, a researcher, and an urban practitioner.
»Cozy Napkin« is a face mask that simulates human touch. The speculation team imagined that this mask could be used in the future by patients and people in need of care. The mask is delivered dry and then lightly sprayed with water in situ. The moist rice paper feels soft against the skin of the face. Thanks to its inflatable filaments, the moist mask adapts perfectly to the wearer’s face and provides a pleasant sensation on the skin. But can it replace human intimacy?
»The incision here is for the nose. And these filaments are inflatable. The user can press it lightly to make the whole thing soft and adapt it to the skin. Then it can be inflated to produce a wonderfully pleasant feeling. A feeling that makes us independent – please bear in mind that we’re in 2050 – of any human touch. But a dystopian idea naturally fed into our speculation as well.«