Extant has produced a touring demonstration of some of the incredible sensory effects pioneered in our 2015 FLATLAND haptic adventure. FLATLAND was a large-scale a large-scale, pilot installation which used haptic technology – the science of communicating by touch – to guide audiences through an immersive, pitch-black world of sensation and sound, and was created in collaboration with Dr Ad Spiers (Haunted Pliers) and the Open University. 

Reports about the Animotus have gone viral with a film of the device receiving nearly 50,000 views on Youtube – you can follow some of the online chatter and discover more via our partner Ad Spiers' website. Further resources on the project are also available on the Flatland website. 

The touring demonstration is called Finding Flatland, and aims to enable us to challenge people’s conceptions of what artistic interactivity can and should be at the same time as opening up conversations about the wider power of haptic engagement in navigation and the environment. It includes some of the key elements that made up the original FLATLAND pilot production including the handheld prototype robotic guidance device, the 'Animotus’, along with a selection of interactive tactile environments designed by 3D print design company Cinter.  Finding Flatland was recently trialled at two October events, NESTA's Making Digital Work in Birmingham, and for the London Legacy Development Corporation team in London, to positive responses.

Finding Flatland can tour to conferences, festivals and events. If you're interested in booking the Finding Flatland demo or finding out more, please contact Extant at [email protected]