Creating for Multiple Senses

Creating for Multiple Senses 

This talk explores the collaborative work of David and Jim in haptic technologies, focusing on their development of the haptic wall and a series of multi-sensory objects created for Centre[3] as part of the Haptic Horizons project.

Drawing on years of practice at the intersection of art, accessibility, and technology, they will discuss how haptics can create alternative modes of perception, communication, and engagement beyond the visual and auditory. Highlighting the conceptual and material processes behind these works, including experimentation with vibration, touch, spatial feedback, and embodied interaction, David and Jim will reflect on how these tactile and multi-sensory elements support access for disabled audiences while also expanding creative possibilities for all users. Positioned within an arts-centred, community-engaged context, their presentation emphasizes haptic technologies not only as assistive tools, but as powerful artistic mediums that reimagine how people experience, navigate, and connect within cultural spaces. 

Speaker Bios

David Bobier is a distinguished media artist, curator, and researcher based in London, Ontario. As a self-identified hard-of-hearing artist and parent to two Deaf children, his lived experience deeply informs his creative and advocacy practice. Bobier has dedicated his career to rethinking how art can be made, experienced, and accessed by Deaf, disabled, and sensory-diverse communities. He is the founder and director of VibraFusionLab, a multimedia, multisensory studio that researches and develops vibrotactile technologies as creative media. Under his leadership, VibraFusionLab has emerged as an international leader in accessible arts practices and inclusive design.

As an artist, Bobier has presented work in over 18 solo exhibitions and 30+ group shows across Canada, the U.S., Europe, and Central America. His practice explores vibration, sound visualization, sensory experience, and the intersection of technology and disability culture.

Instagram: @VibraFusionLab
Canadian Journal of Disability Studies: read interview

Jim Ruxton is a Hamilton-based media artist, engineer, and innovator whose work bridges electronics, installation, performance, and multisensory design. With a background in electrical engineering from the University of Ottawa and arts training from OCAD University, Ruxton blends technical precision with artistic experimentation.

Ruxton is the founder of Cinematronics, a studio recognized for creating complex interactive systems, kinetic sculptures, lighting environments, and special effects for film, theatre, dance, and contemporary art. He is also the co-founder and former Program Director of Subtle Technologies, a long-running festival dedicated to fostering dialogue between art, science, and technology. His collaborative approach has led him to work closely with artists, performers, and researchers across disciplines, contributing to innovative projects that challenge conventional sensory experience. A recipient of multiple awards — including a Hamilton Arts Award and the Dora Mavor Moore Award — Ruxton continues to influence the field of media art through his commitment to experimentation, accessibility, and cross-disciplinary creative practice.