NISCALA - Converging Human Emotions with Interactive Technologies

The future of interactive technologies hinges on understanding how memories, emotions, and cognition are influenced by experiential interactions. This research explores the convergence of human emotions, memories, and interactive technologies through the NISCALA project. The primary research problem is to find an equilibrium between the emotional connection humans have with technology while providing participants with a tangible memory to take home. The objective is to investigate how novel interactions and experiential installations can enhance this emotional connection. To achieve this, we reimagined the phone and designed a prototype based on transport themes. The methodology involved recording nine different prompts for participants to interact with, using a microphone and speaker system to convert speech to text, and sending the text file to a thermal printer. Participants could then take home their printed memory or pin it up on the NISCALA station. This approach allows participants to engage in a reflective journey through time, using technology to capture and preserve their responses. The main findings indicate that NISCALA successfully fosters a sense of emotional connection and reflection, encouraging participants to look forward with hope for the future of interactive technologies. This study highlights the importance of preserving the emotional nature of humans within the evolving technological landscape, demonstrating that interactive technologies can inform and enrich human memories and emotions.