Dear Colleagues, we cordially invite you to the international symposium:

 

Mediated Social Touch. Interdisciplinary Exploration of Digital Touch to Connect Humans 

Link: https://dij.tokyo/mediated

October 18, 2023: 3 pm - 7 pm JST

Venue: OAG Hall, Akasaka/Tokyo

 

The aim of this interdisciplinary and exploratory symposium at the intersection of social science (sociology, geography), neuroscience, haptics and computer science/AI is to gain a comprehensive, multi-perspective understanding of the status quo, and the potential of mediated social touch (MST) for connecting humans in a digitalized world (human-machine-human interaction). What is/can be the (future) role of MST for "proximity at distance", for social inclusion and societal participation in the context of the increasing digitalization and diversification of Japanese and German societies? Experts and practitioners will discuss topics such as diversity & inclusion, social haptics/social touch, ELSI (Ethical, Legal and Social Issues) and design.

 

Main Organizers:

Japan (JSPS): Kōta Minamizawa (Keio University Graduate School of Media Design)

Germany (DFG): Nora Kottmann (German Institute for Japanese Studies) and Sakura Yamamura (RWTH Aachen)

In collaboration with the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), Grant-in-Aid for Transformative Research Areas (B), Foundations of Digital Embodied Economics and the German Research Foundation (DFG, project number 519370372).

 

Please register on our website for this event: https://dij.tokyo/mediated. 

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Tentative Program 

14:30-15:00 Doors open + mini exhibit

15:00-15:10 Opening notes and welcome, "Japanese-German Collaborations"

DFG Office Japan, German Institute for Japanese Studies (Franz Waldenberger)

15:10-15:20 Thematic introduction

Kōta Minamizawa, Nora Kottmann, Sakura Yamamura

15:20-17:00 Talk sessions

 

Speakers (in alphabetical order)

Frank Flemish (RWTH Aachen): A human factors and human systems integration perspective on digital touch to connect humans

Asa Itō (Future of Humanity Research Center, Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology): title TBA

Mark Paterson (University of Pittsburgh): The neuroscience of 'slow' social touch: what does this mean for robots?

Anna Spiegel (Universität Paderborn, Germany): The ambivalence of social touch. Insights from sociology and migration research

Yoshihiro Tanaka (Nagoya Institute of Technology): title TBA

Junji Watanabe (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporations - NTT): title TBA

 

17:00-18:00 Panel discussion 

18:00-19:00 Reception + mini exhibit (Foyer)

Exhibitors

Jan Wertel & Gernot Oberfell (WertelOberfell)

KMD Embodied Media Project 

Foundations of Digital Embodied Economics

 

DIJ Tokyo

Jochi Kioizaka Bldg. 2F, 7-1 Kioicho

Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0094, Japan

https://www.dijtokyo.org/