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Cheng Guo's Experimental Mouth-Powered Tools

By Rain Noe - July 26, 2012

in Object Culture | Hand Tools

Prior to the staple gun, old-school upholsters used upholstery tacks, a tack hammer and their mouths. They'd line a series of tacks between their lips, pointy side in; use their secondary hand to hold the work in place; bring the tack hammer to their face with their primary hand; use the magnetic tip of the hammer to precisely pluck a single tack which they sort of spit from their mouths; then precisely place the tack; and finally, hammer it in. With each subsequent tacking action they'd bring the hammer back to their mouths to load up another one.

Lots of us use our mouths to work. We stick our pen in there while we shuffle papers; we chomp down on a flashlight while opening the fusebox; we tear packaging open with our teeth; we blow crumbs off of keyboards; we make weird clicking noises to summon dogs.

Chinese artist Cheng Guo holds a Bachelors in Industrial Design from Shanghai's Tongji University and a Masters in Product Design from the RCA. For one of his ultimate RCA projects, "Mouth Factory," Cheng decided to experimentally formalize the usage of the mouth for performing tasks. The result is a series of bizarre and intriguing tools that are ultimately less about practicality and more about provoking thought.

"Mouth Factory" is a series of functional machines specifically designed to be operated by the mouth of the user, Which includes Chewing drill, teeth lathe, tongue extruder, mouth breath rotational molding and vacuum form machines.

The project explores the capabilities and versatility of this wondrous organ and correlating facial expressions, re-contextualised within the realm of production. As a comment on human enhancement, the project aims to explore the aesthetic of production through a series of performative devices. By focusing on the mouth, the production devices acquire a fantastic quality that amplifies and render visible the reciprocal relationship and effects between our body and our tools.

Mouth Factory-5 Sequences from Cheng Guo on Vimeo.

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jc

12 years ago

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That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen.
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jb

12 years ago

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Not to mention that the uses that he puts his 'tools' to are largely unnecessary. He didn't need to pre-drill the drywall for that screw. He didn't need to spin the resin casting chamber to cast that chess piece. Why is he putting toothpaste on a paper strip? Some real world usefulness might have helped to make these tools seem less 'wrong'.

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jmc

12 years ago

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An interesting project, though not entirely innovative as the mouth has long been an alternative means of operating external controls, in applications far more sophisticated than manual tooling tasks (for which the oral/mandibular structures are not intended).

At present, devices exist which can be controlled by the pressure changes caused by inhalation and exhalation (sip & puff controls) to operate a motorized wheelchair. The tongue, through non invasive movement patterns, can manipulate computer controls, steer mobility devices, and activate switches.

Repetitive movements of the jaw required to perform the drill operations featured in the video would absolutely lead to injury, as the temporal mandibular joint is not equipped to sustain excessive forceful use outside the necessary range of motion for chewing.

While its important to champion thinking outside the box, this project could have been much less conceptual and more beneficial if it built upon some of the fascinating technology that already exists.
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