Vibrotactile systems
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Handheld Vibrotactile Device
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Mechanism for operating the vibrotactile handheld device. Built by Jim Ruxton.
Image Description: various pieces of hardware including a transducer, mini amplifier, small lithium battery and audio cable.
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Closed handheld device. Case designed and printed by Rod Strickland.
Image Description: A hand holds a 3D printed white oblong shaped object with audio inputs and controls.
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Open handheld device. Image Description: 3D printed object is opened to two halves showing the interior mechanism of a handheld vibrotactile device.
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Woojer Strap 
Woojer Strap with cables. Image Description: A black strap with a circular object in black and copper colour is shown with audio cables attached.
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Hook up system for cabling multi vibrotactile devices. (eg. Woojer straps, pillows). Designed by Jim Ruxton.
Image Description: A small black 3D printed case is shown with silver audio cables and two large black XLR cables attached.
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Installation of sixty two Woojer straps in The Cultch Theatre, Vancouver, BC. Image Description: A large theatre space with red seating. A walkway goes up the middle. Individual Woojers belts are are situated on the backs of each chair.
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Vibrotactile Wired Pillow
Vibrotactile pillow with embroidered sleeve. Production: 'Je ne vais pas inonder la mer', MAI Theatre, Montreal, Quebec. Embroidery by choreographer and performer Sonia Bustos. Pillow by David Bobier.
Image Description: Two hands hold a burgundy covered pillow. There is green and yellow embroidery of flowers on the lower right side of the pillow.
Vibrotactile Wireless Pillow 
Vibrotactile pillow operating off JBL bluetooth system. Pillow by David Bobier. Image Description: A black pillow is connected to a small JBL speaker with a red cable.
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Installation of vibrotactile pillows with embroidered sleeves. Production: 'je ne vais pas inonder la mer'. MAI Theatre, Montreal, Quebec. Pillows by David Bobier.
Image Description: A row of grey chairs are angled from lower right to upper left. On each chair is a vibrotactile pillow arranged intermittently with red and blue sleeves.
Vibrotactile pillow operating off JBL bluetooth system. Pillow by David Bobier. A black pillow with a small JBL speaker in front of it.
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Vibrotactile pillow with hand embroidery by Leslie Putnam. Exhibition: 'Love Me'. Part of an art installation by David Bobier called 'Love Me'. Art Windsor-Essex. Pillow by David Bobier.
Image Description: A black pillow is held by two arms. A portion of an individual is seen with a black top. The pillow is embroidered with blue thread saying 'Love Me' in English and braille.
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Vibrotactile Floors
Underside of vibrotactile floors showing transducers. Installation at Tangled Art Gallery, Toronto, Ontario. Floors designed and built by David Bobier. Image Description: Four large wooden sections lie on a wooden floor. Attached to each wooden section are 6 transducers and audio cables. A partial view of a stepladder is to the right. Also to the right is a male appearing individual working on a large white plinth. A TV is to his right also on a white plinth. A large door can be seen at the backof the image.
A group of high school students enjoying the sound and vibrational qualities of the vibrotactile floor. Collaborative exhibition called 'all that we accomplish' with video artist Deirdre Logue at Tangled Art Gallery, Toronto, Ontario. Floors designed and built by David Bobier. Image Description: A group of teenage women and men kneel on a large black carpeted floor situated on a wooden floor. They are facing to the left and watching videos on monitors mounted on the wall at the left of the image. Several other teenagers can be seen standing at the back of the room in fornt of an open door.
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Vibrotactile floors independently connected to video monitors. Collaborative exhibition called 'all that we accomplish' with video artist Deirdre Logue at Tangled Art Gallery, Toronto, Ontario. Floors designed and built by David Bobier. Image Description: A large black slightly raised carpeted floor is situated on a wooden floor. On the wall facing the black floor are four video monitors, each showing a different video. Balck cable run from the monitors to the black floor. A partrial wooden pillar can be seen to the left of the image.
Wheelchair artist Kim Fullerton experimenting with 4 channel vibrotactile floor components. Floor designed and built by David Bobier. Image Description: A female appearing person with greying hair and black rimmed glasses is sitting in a silver and black wheelchair . She is wearing a brown sweater and black pants. She is facing top the left. She is on a wooden platform made up of four equal sized sections. Tables , a fan and walls are at the back of the image.
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Ten Channel Vibrotactile Wall
'Haptic Voices' ten channel vibrotactile wall. Exhibition: 'Haptic Voices', InterAccess, Toronto, Ontario. Wall designed and built by Jim Ruxton. Image Description: A silver aluminum framed object is sitting on a cement floor. Between the two aluminum frames are strung ten small black round objects attached to black cords. To the right is a white table with a white box and a black open computer. Several black cords run from the white box to the round black objects. A white tablet is mounted on an elevated stand in front of the aluminum frame. A white wall is at the back of the image.
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Image shows wall designer Jium Ruxton (left) demonstrating the haptic wall to filmmaker Aruturo Jimenez. Wall designed and built by Jim Ruxton. Image Description: Two male appearing individuals are standing in a white walled room. One individual with grey hear, a pink jacket and blue jeans is standing in front of an aluminum framed upright structure slightly taller that human size. The other individual is stand leaning into the aluminum structure with his arms spread out and his hands holding onto the structure. He is wearing a purple sweater, green shirt and dark pants. To the right is a white table with a white box on it. A white tablet is mounted on an elevated stand in front of the individual leaning into the structure.
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Image showing iPad and control interface for ten channel vibrotactile wall. Wall and program by Jim Ruxton. Haptic Voices website designed by Simon Lebrun. Image Description: A iPad with a white frame presents a blue screen with circles and squares of various colours. A blurred black object with small orange shapes and mounted on two black rubber bands is seen in the forefront.
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Image showing wall designer Jim Ruxton, media artist David Bobier and Composer John Gzowski. Others unidentified. Image Description: Five individuals are standing around in front of an aluminum upright frame. They are looking at a tablet in front of the frame. A dog is seen in the lower right of the image. Several individuals can be seen standing in the background in a large white-walled room.
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In this video David Bobier and Jim Ruxton explain their vibrotactile art installation Haptic Voices and discuss the evolution of their work at VibraFusionLab in Hamilton, Ontario as well as their support for Deaf and Disabled artists. Haptic Voices is a large scale ten channel vibrotactile wall with the potential for 10 independent streams of sound signals. Visitors are invited to stand against the wall to experience vibrations that are controlled using an iPad. Four sound compositions, designed explicitly for the vibrotactile experience, were commissioned for the wall. The composers include Toronto-based John Gzowski and Ravi Naimpally, Deaf Irish composer Ailís Ní Ríain and Haptic Voices co-creator Jim Ruxton. Using vibration as the final output, Haptic Voices is equally accessible to the Deaf, hard of hearing and able-bodied communities to experience the wall.
Eight Channel Vibrotactile Back Cushion
Image description:
A gallery space with grey brown floor and off white coloured walls. In the forefront and middle of the image is a low white cabinet with one drawer. On the lower shelf are several black mini amps and a black cable running to the back of a pale brown chair that is to the right of the cabinet. Between the two is a black stand holding a black touchscreen. On the wall is a projection of an icy waterfall.
A gallery space with grey brown floor and off white coloured walls. In the forefront and middle of the image is a low white cabinet with one drawer. On the lower shelf are several black mini amps and a black cable running to the back of a pale brown chair that is to the right of the cabinet. Between the two is a black stand holding a black touchscreen. On the wall is a projection of an icy waterfall.
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Video description (Left):
A gallery space with grey brown floor and off white coloured walls. In the forefront and middle of the image is a low white cabinet with one drawer. On the lower shelf are several black mini amps and a black cable running to the back of a pale brown chair that is to the right of the cabinet. Between the two is a black stand holding a black touchscreen. On the wall is a projection of an icy waterfall. The sounds of the waterfall can be heard.
The camera pans and moves to a closeup of the touch pad where a hand touches the screen with a finger and activating colour circles. The camera moves to show a black back cushion leaning against the back of the chair. After a few seconds the video pans to show a large projection of an icy waterfall in motion.
Video description (Right):
An older white male with white hair in a pony tail and wearing a black sweater and blue jeans sits on a chair with a black back cushion between his back and the back of the chair facing a projection of an icy waterfall on the wall he is facing. With his left hand he traces a path on a touch screen mounted on a stand. The movement of his finger activates red and white circles of colour on the screen, expanding and contracting in proximity to his finger.
A gallery space with grey brown floor and off white coloured walls. In the forefront and middle of the image is a low white cabinet with one drawer. On the lower shelf are several black mini amps and a black cable running to the back of a pale brown chair that is to the right of the cabinet. Between the two is a black stand holding a black touchscreen. On the wall is a projection of an icy waterfall. The sounds of the waterfall can be heard.
The camera pans and moves to a closeup of the touch pad where a hand touches the screen with a finger and activating colour circles. The camera moves to show a black back cushion leaning against the back of the chair. After a few seconds the video pans to show a large projection of an icy waterfall in motion.
Video description (Right):
An older white male with white hair in a pony tail and wearing a black sweater and blue jeans sits on a chair with a black back cushion between his back and the back of the chair facing a projection of an icy waterfall on the wall he is facing. With his left hand he traces a path on a touch screen mounted on a stand. The movement of his finger activates red and white circles of colour on the screen, expanding and contracting in proximity to his finger.