Aposema

Aposema is a personally customised wearable prosthetic mask that responds to the wearer’s expressions, in order to speculate on a near future where we rely on technology to replace our, once natural, instincts.

The mask is built using soft robotics prosthetics and biometric sensors that are proposed to exaggerate and translate facial expressions. The soft robotics elements create information ‘inputs’ and ‘outputs’, respectively, enabling and enhancing interpersonal understanding.

The masks’ façade is made up of a layer of silicone with coloured inflating pockets of fluid, which reacts to the wearer’s facial expressions, sending out ‘messages’ through patterns and shape change. Each colour represents one of the six universal emotions: happiness, sadness, surprise, disgust, fear and anger, and the degree of shape change indicates the intensity of
feeling.