sensesharing

Sensesharing is a term used to describe methods and technologies that enable the transfer or sharing of sensory information or perceptual experiences between individuals or between a person and an environment. It encompasses efforts to convey or elicit subjective sensations through neural interfaces, haptic devices, augmented or virtual reality, and related systems. Sensesharing differs from simple data transmission in that it aims to reproduce or convey elements of experience that are typically private and phenomenological.

The field combines components from neuroscience, engineering, and computer science. Data acquisition collects neural signals or physiological cues, while encoding and decoding map these signals into sensory modalities such as tactile, visual, auditory, or proprioceptive channels. Transmission networks carry the information, and rendering systems deliver the sensation, using approaches like noninvasive brain-computer interfaces, direct neural stimulation, or wearable haptic feedback. Forms of sensesharing range from brain-to-brain or brain-to-machine interfaces to mediated experiences via shared virtual environments.

Research to date has demonstrated early, proof-of-concept levels of sense sharing, often focusing on basic cues or limited sensory channels. Limitations include latency, resolution, subjective variability in perception, and the challenge of safely and ethically delivering perceptual experiences. Privacy, consent, and the potential for manipulation are central ethical considerations as the technology evolves.

Potential applications span medical rehabilitation and assistive technologies, collaborative work in VR/AR, education and training, and exploratory studies of social and affective interaction. As methods mature, sense sharing may become a component of immersive experiences, while prompts for ongoing evaluation of safety, efficacy, and ethics remain essential.