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ConTaktLab @contaktlab.bsky.social · 19h

We'd like to ask you: What rhythms of care do you turn to when you need comfort?

Let us know in the replies.

#Neuroscience #Touch #Evolution

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ConTaktLab @contaktlab.bsky.social · 19h

Our new blog post explores how touch, rhythm and voice evolved as tools for care and connection. From a mother cat’s lick to a human lullaby, soothing behaviours unite all mammals.

Read the blog: tu-dresden.de/ing/elektrot...

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ConTaktLab @contaktlab.bsky.social · 2d

Why would you trust a robot? Our COSMO VR exhibit explores trust through immersive, embodied interaction.

Here's a short demo of our exhibition, now live at the COSMO Wissenschaftsforum. www.cosmo-wissenschaftsforum.de/robotik/

#MenschRoboter #Robotik #Dresden #COSMO

ConTaktLab @contaktlab.bsky.social · 9d

Can trust in robots arise from shared presence?

Our COSMO VR demo explores affect and interaction in human-robot relations. We now have pictures of our setup, which will open this Thursday at the COSMO Forum. See you there!

www.cosmo-wissenschaftsforum.de/robotik/
#MenschRoboter #Dresden #COSMO

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ConTaktLab @contaktlab.bsky.social · 20d

Join us online on Sept 22–23 youtube.com/channel/UCd6...
Check the full programme here: tu-dresden.de/ing/elektrot...

socialBRIDGES: Presence

The upcoming ninth event in the socialBRIDGES series is organized by Merle Fairhurst (TU Dresden), Matthew McGinity (TU Dresden) and Gijs Huisman (Delft University of Technology) and aims to bring tog...

youtube.com

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ConTaktLab @contaktlab.bsky.social · 20d

Keynote spotlight:

Prof. Olaf Blanke (EPFL ) at #SocialBridges:
"Neuroscience of the Sense of Self & its Relevance for Presence" explores embodiment, multisensory integration & self-other distinction in VR/XR, towards new forms of selfhood.

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ConTaktLab @contaktlab.bsky.social · 21d

Join us online on Sept 22–23 youtube.com/channel/UCd6...
Check the full programme here:

socialBRIDGES: Presence

The upcoming ninth event in the socialBRIDGES series is organized by Merle Fairhurst (TU Dresden), Matthew McGinity (TU Dresden) and Gijs Huisman (Delft University of Technology) and aims to bring tog...

youtube.com

ConTaktLab @contaktlab.bsky.social · 21d

Keynote spotlight:

Prof. Kristine Nowak (@uconn.bsky.social) at #SocialBRIDGES:

What Presence and “Being There” Means for Being Here
Presence is powerful, but more isn’t always better. Unfocused presence can overwhelm, distract, or hinder learning.

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ConTaktLab @contaktlab.bsky.social · 23d

Keynote spotlight:

Prof. Mel Slater (UniBarcelona, Event Lab) at #socialBRIDGES-Presence:
"Advances in the Theory and Evaluation of Presence" explores how and why we experience the illusion of being present in virtual environments.

Sept 22–23, 2025 www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuGK...

ConTaktLab @contaktlab.bsky.social · 29d

New paper out!

A systematic review of evidence on touch interventions and their effects on arousal and self-regulation, highlighting their potential in stress and pain management and broader medical use.

Read it here: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

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ConTaktLab @contaktlab.bsky.social · Sep 4

What does trust in a robot feel like?

Our COSMO VR installation explores this question through and more. From 02.10.2025 to 27.02.2026 at COSMO, the exhibit explores trust as an emotional and embodied response in human–robot interaction. www.cosmo-wissenschaftsforum.de/robotik/

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ConTaktLab @contaktlab.bsky.social · Aug 19

Can simulated touch help us feel connected?

At ConTakt Lab we explore how VR and pseudohaptics (visuals, sounds, resistance) can recreate the comfort of touch without skin contact.

Could this change how we bond in digital spaces?
tu-dresden.de/ing/elektrot...

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ConTaktLab @contaktlab.bsky.social · Aug 13

We're still accepting applications for posters or short talks. If you'd like to apply, please contact us.

Date: 22-23.09
Location: In-person in Dresden and online
More info: tu-dresden.de/ing/elektrot...

SocialBRIDGES: Präsenz

Diese Konferenz bringt Köpfe aus unterschiedlichen Bereichen zusammen, um über Präsenz zu diskutieren und die Grenzen zwischen Verkörperung und Wahrnehmung, Illusion und Realität zu erkunden.

tu-dresden.de

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ConTaktLab @contaktlab.bsky.social · Aug 13

How do we feel present in life, VR and beyond?
Join socialBRIDGES – Presence, a hybrid event with keynotes by Mel Slater and Olaf Blanke, exploring presence across neuroscience, VR, theatre and more.

www.linkedin.com/events/73613...

socialBRIDGES - Presence | LinkedIn

From the illusion of being in a mediated space to the feeling of sharing a moment with others, presence takes on different forms across disciplines. It is central to discussions in virtual and augment...

www.linkedin.com

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ConTaktLab @contaktlab.bsky.social · Aug 4

Why would you trust a robot?

Our COSMO VR exhibit invites you to experience this question firsthand. From Oct 2, 2025 to Feb 27, 2026 at Kulturpalast Dresden.
www.cosmo-wissenschaftsforum.de/robotik/
#MenschRoboter #Robotik #Dresden #Forschungfüralle #Wissenschaftskommunikation #COSMO

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ConTaktLab @contaktlab.bsky.social · Jul 17

Touch = faster decisions, but not better ones?

This study, co-authored by our chair and a team member, finds haptic feedback leads to quicker reactions, esp. on mobile. Yet learning accuracy stays the same across sensory cues.

www.cell.com/heliyon/full...

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ConTaktLab @contaktlab.bsky.social · Jul 7

Why does a child flinch from touch but quietly accept a baby’s hand?

The film System Crasher meets neuroscience in our new post linking trauma, trust and touch.

Read our article: tu-dresden.de/ing/elektrot...

ConTaktLab @contaktlab.bsky.social · Jun 25

What if your brain could control a lobster in VR, or grow a third arm?

Homuncular Flexibility explores how we adapt to nonhuman avatars. A wild journey through brain plasticity, empathy, and VR’s future.

Read the paper by Won, Bailenson and Lanier: vhil.stanford.edu/sites/g/file...

vhil.stanford.edu

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ConTaktLab @contaktlab.bsky.social · Jun 23

At this year's ##LNDWDD, we showcased how touch and technology are becoming more deeply intertwined in our daily lives. Thanks everyone for stopping by!

ConTaktLab @contaktlab.bsky.social · Jun 18

If we ignore context, we risk building cold, awkward, or even distressing touch interfaces. But if we design with social and emotional intelligence, we create something richer: mediated touch that feels human.

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ConTaktLab @contaktlab.bsky.social · Jun 18

The key insight? Context matters. When people felt more threatened, they were more comfortable with touch from close ones, but more uneasy with strangers. Touch became more emotional, less neutral.
Our post asks: How can digital touch tech reflect these psychological realities?

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ConTaktLab @contaktlab.bsky.social · Jun 18

We pair this with our 2024 dataset “The space between us”: data.mendeley.com/datasets/m62... This study examined how COVID-19 threat perception influenced interpersonal distance and the emotional experience of vicarious touch.

The space between us: the effect of perceived threat on interpersonal distance and perceived pleasantness of interpersonal touch

The space we keep between ourselves and others determines whether we engage in close shared experiences but also allows us to distance ourselves for safety. Focusing primarily on the latter, previous ...

data.mendeley.com

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ConTaktLab @contaktlab.bsky.social · Jun 18

At ConTakt Lab, we explore how digital touch shapes our sense of self and others. In our recent blog, we reflect on how trust, embodiment, and vulnerability are central to mediated touch experiences: tu-dresden.de/ing/elektrot...

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ConTaktLab @contaktlab.bsky.social · Jun 16

From subway poles to soft fur, touch not only informs us, but helps us feel ourselves.

New blog post on touch, body schema and self-perception: tu-dresden.de/ing/elektrot...

We want to hear from you: How has touch shaped your sense of self?

ConTaktLab @contaktlab.bsky.social · Jun 13

Harvard’s 2025 commencement speaker, Dr. Abraham Verghese, reminded us: in a tech-driven world, healing begins with human connection.

A timely, moving call for empathy in medicine: edition.cnn.com/2025/05/26/u...