Omo is an artefact that shares empathic relationships with humans. The invasiveness of the machine dissolves in the direction of an organic allegory that enables new subconscious feelings. In that sense, Omo might also be seen as a friend or a companion. The creature expands and contracts, either matching the users’ breathing or by guiding it through sensing it. The physical sensing generates prosthetic emotions; for example, placing Omo on your stomach could be compared to the intimate sensations emanated by the turgid tummy of a pregnant women. Omo is one of several informed artefacts drawing from the emerging methodology of Machine Therapy that combines art, design, psychodynamics, and engineering making visible complex dynamics that may occur among human and machines. Machine Therapy tweaks technological artefacts in order to explore their sensitive and emotional side forging their role as relaxing and stimulating companions to humans. As humans are increasingly in contact with technological artefacts, works such as Omo awaken unexpected human emotions, evolving more profound, complex and expressive interrelationships with machines.

Biography

Kelly Dobson grew up in a junkyard. From the age of four she was doing odd jobs such as smashing windows and hauling machine parts from one area of the yard to another. Later, studying medicine and art, Dobson became focused on alternative approaches to machines, approaching them as relational and reflective objects. Working in the realms of art, design, engineering and social and critical theory, she has developed the domain of Machine Therapy while earning a Masters of Science degree from MIT's Visual Studies Program in 2000 and a PhD from the MIT Media Lab in 2007. Her current work combines research in digital signal processing and machine learning, technology and society studies, and art and therapy. She builds empathic machines such as Blendie , Wearable Body Organs such as ScreamBody, and organizes engagements with existing culturally implicated machines. She is currently a visiting assistant professor at Cornell University in the Department of Architecture, Art & Planning.