Haptic Illusion 3D Print
I 3D modelled and printed Masashi Nakatani’s fishbone tactile illusion so I could feel it for myself.
Touch is not a direct reading of the world. What you see changes what you feel, and the fishbone illusion demonstrates it better than any paragraph can: run a finger along a completely flat printed fish skeleton and the ribs feel raised above the spine.
I wanted to experience it rather than read about it. Masashi Nakatani's illusion won the Illusion of the Year in 2011, and a friend (thanks Dylan) sent it my way. There was no fishbone model I could buy, so I modelled one and printed it.
Running a finger along the fish-bone feels like the ribs are higher than the spine, even though it's completely flat.
The model I made is here as an STL, zipped. If you print it, email me and say hello.