Five Fingers Fillet — Shimeng's Portfolio

FIVE FINGERS FILLET
Instructed by David Rios
Collaborators: Zack Joslow & Yiyang Guo
Fabrication: Zack Joslow
Engineering: Yiyang Guo
Special thanks: Anky Cheng (Kai)

Installation | 2023 | Build in 4 weeks
Design | Engineering
Softawares: Arduino IDE
Materials: Arduino Uno, capacitive sensor, TENS machine, 3-colors LEDs, glass tubes, metal sheets, Acrylic sheets, wood.

This installation is a modern recreation of the traditional "Five Fingers Fillet" game. The player uses one hand to maneuver a metal piece, aiming to stab between fake fingers, guided by a blue LED light. The player wears a glove on the other hand, which is placed inside a box aligned with the fake hand above it. As the game progresses, the blue LED blinks faster, increasing the challenge. If the player misses the target or stabs the fake hand, a red light flashes. Additionally, if the player stabs the fake hand, the corresponding finger on their own hand receives a mild electric stimulation through the glove.

Warning: Mild electromagnetic stimulation involved. Not to be used by people with heart disease, or children under 18 years old.

IDEATION

The idea stems from an empathy experiment demonstrating that people can relate to a body they do not physically inhabit, with the brain simulating pain that can be genuinely felt. As robots and AI increasingly integrate into our daily lives, it raises intriguing questions: Will there come a day when we use robotic bodies to interact with the world, experiencing only simulated sensations?

MECHANISM

When the button is pressed, the LED lights flash blue in a sequential order. There is a time interval for the player to touch each metal panel between the fingers corresponding to the blue LED light. We use a capacitive touch sensor from Adafruit to detect the touch, as the metal piece is conductive when held by the player. If the player misses touching the corresponding metal panel within the time interval, the three color LEDs flash red twice, and the game continues from where the player missed.

If the player touches the fake hand, where the fingers are wrapped with conductive fabric, the corresponding finger inside the glove receives a mild electric stimulation. We have made sleeves to fit each finger inside the gloves with conductive fabric, connected to five relays attached to a TENS machine. The TENS machine continuously sends electric stimulations, while the relays remain normally closed. When the player touches a finger of the fake hand, the corresponding relay opens, and the player feels the electric stimulation through the corresponding sleeve inside the glove. The device is safe under controlled conditions, as the electric stimulation comes from a TENS machine, which is commonly used for relaxing muscles.

FABRICATION

Thanks to Zack for his significant contributions. We have created three prototypes:

- First Prototype: A simple model using cardboard to cut out hand shapes, with each finger taped with copper strips.

- Second Prototype: A wooden box was constructed to hold the fake hand above, allowing the player to place their hand inside the box. The fake hand was created using a silicone mold and a disposable glove.

- Third Prototype: We refined the wooden box by sanding and painting it. A CNC machine was used to cut a metal sheet to cover the surface of the box, giving it a neat, modern look. An acrylic board was attached beneath the metal sheet, allowing the metal panel pieces to sit on it and the lights to shine through the gaps. Two identical gloves were used, one for the fake hand and one for the player, to create a psychological connection between the player and the fake hand. The glove on the fake hand enhanced its realism. Inside the player's glove, we made sleeves for each finger, enabling the player to feel the electric stimulation as described above.