It is said that vision is responsible for about 90% of our perception of the outside world in daily human life. Of course, all five senses are just as essential, indispensable for human life. However, the application of the sense of touch has many scientifically unexplained elements, and its application to industry and the field of expression has been delayed compared to other sensations. Under such circumstances, we questioned what kind of science communication was needed in Japan's tactile field, to create a community promoting such researches and advanced technologies.

We were a part of launching "TECHTILE," a community working on new tactTILE designs utilizing TECHnology, where we organized their third exhibition. "TECHTILE" was in collaboration with researchers, designers, and artists who continue cutting-edge research in the tactile field. The silver space is composed of more than 200 textures of Tokyo's town,  copied onto a 1-meter square piece of aluminum foil. The textures were produced through a workshop by more than 20 participants from teenagers to people in their 40s. From maintenance holes to police car emblems, which its fine textures are usually consciously unnoticed, we aimed to engrave a fully tactile experience within a space through collective intelligence using aluminum foil.

The venue visualized the texture of the city through aluminum foil. As well as being highly evaluated, it received numerous design awards. Since this exhibition, "TECHTILE" exhibitions continued, and with the evolution of VR technology, the degree of attention to tactile technology gradually increased. Furthermore, the founding members seem to be distinguished as representative researchers in Japan. Various efforts through "TECHTILE" have greatly contributed to the development of tactile technology research in its early days. It continues to attract attention as an activity leading this area.