It might look like an innocent piece of foil just itching to be crumpled to you, but that's only half true. This metallic layer, titled @><#!!!, is="" the="" surface="" of="" a="" machine="" that's="" trying="" to="" interact="" with="" humans="" on="" an="" emotional="" level.="" as="" you="" approach="" the="" piece="" of="" material,="" it="" senses="" your="" distance="" and="" begins="" to="" curl="" inward="" when="" your="" hand="" gets="" too="" close.="" touching="" the="" material="" will="" cause="" it="" to="" crumple="" and="" curl,="" almost="" like="" an="" invisible="" hand="" is="" forcing="" @=""><#!!! into="" a="" ball.="" but="" then="" as="" you="" retreat,="" the="" foil="" returns="" to="" its="" original,="" vegetative="" state="" to="" wait="" for="" its="" next="" playmate.="" almost="" as="" if="" to="" say,="" "give="" me="" a="" break."="" the="" piece="" is="" meant="" to="" get="" the="" user="" thinking="" about="" the="" way="" they="" interpret="" @=""><#!!! and="" what="" it="" has="" to="" say="" about="" their="" own="" character="" and="" conditions.="">

The science behind this hi-tech emotional tease? An arduino board acts as a controller for sensors located in an inner layer of foil. In response to these invisible sensors and the data they collect, the arduino board tells the top layer of foil how to react. The top layer of foil is connected to small wheels, making it easy to smoothly crumple and stretch its surface. Users have expressed many different thoughts over the project, from finding it cute to comparing it to a primitive animal.

Click on for more photos and a video showing how @><#!!! interacts="" with="">