Design, science and philosophy blend together in Datta’s creations. For his thesis project at Copenhagen’s Institute of Interaction Design, Datta developed devices that teach simple tasks, like drawing, by stimulating a haptic experience.
Saurabh Datta is a lifelong tinkerer, which allows him to ask some good questions about machines acting as learning tools. “How we can evolve with this facet that they doesn't become too much overwhelming? What are the possibilities that arise when we apply forced feedback systems with today’s technology to design for our near future? Can we provide more opportunities when machines have a physical attribute assisting us in our learnings and not just showing us what to learn on a flat screen?” “I’m taking this metaphor of the importance of holding hands when learning a new skill. As a support, can technology help us here rather than just giving us directions of what to do and how to do as visual cuts on screens? So I decided to see what it feels like when a machine holds your hands while you are performing a task. How does it deliver these new experiences and expectations and how we react to it?”