By Kathy Hughes
Contributing columnist
It seems ironic that an age referred to as “digital” should be lacking in the sense of touch — that is because “digit” can refer to a finger, as well as a number. We have come to rely almost exclusively on sound and sight for our sensory input, while smell, taste and touch are relatively absent, at least in our day to day interactions. Assumedly, smell and taste are safe as long as we must continue to eat. What about touch?
I searched the Internet and nearly every hit for “human touch” had to do with customer service — not what I had in mind. Our digital environment is composed of touch screens, handheld devices, gaming sticks and wands, and the mouse. Since I live alone, I am acutely aware of the absence of touch in my day to day experiences.
In addition to avatars and holograms, there are robots which I imagine might be able to provide a back rub. Yet, wait! As the ultimate solution to sensory deprivation, a French engineer has devised an attachment for our phones: a digital digit, aka the “MobiLimb.”
The moving finger can stroke your hand, as well as propping up your phone for hands-free viewing of videos. It also participates in computer games, can rise up to alert you of a call or message, and can even drag your phone along behind it, as it crosses your desk or other surface. In fetching your phone it wiggles along in an “inch worm” fashion.
The inventor is holding back on releasing his gadget due to the reactions of test subjects that it is “weird” and that it might be used for erotic purposes. He should reconsider — it would be just in time for Halloween.
Personally, I find it reassuring that another person also feels touch deprivation. There are five senses, but most people involved with technology are only using two of them: vision and hearing. Our other senses, taste, smell and touch, are in danger of withering away and, like the appendix, become only vestiges of the human body. Evolution may enact its potential for change: “if you don’t use it, you lose it.”
