Tongueness: Designing and Experiencing Licking Interaction

Tongueness is an interactive physical installation questioning traditional interaction modalities by embracing the act of licking as an intimate and exploratory form of engagement with technology. It is an Odd Interactions artifact consisting of a handheld device with the interface and an on-screen visualisation providing feedback. In this paper, we present our motivations behind Tongueness, the technical implementation of the interface, and impressions gathered at an exhibition and in an online survey. We use Tongueness to explore the opportunities and limitations of integrating licking interfaces in our everyday lives and conclude with a discussion on the roles of context, familiarity, social acceptability, the importance of experience, explore playfulness and sexuality, and finally propose key takeaways for future applications of licking interfaces.