Investigation of the User Experience and Effects of Compression on the Body

This paper outlines an ongoing PhD dissertation research, seeking to explore the user experience of a non-traditional form of haptic modality --- compression, through the use of computer-mediated on-body compression systems with embedded active materials that are capable of being simultaneously functional, remotely-controllable, and inconspicuous. The motivation for this work is to address the need to expand our understanding of different haptic sensations, in this case, the objective and subjective effects of compression on a user, as well as how might the use of active, dynamically-controllable garments affect traditional compression garment use paradigms.