Naman Merchant

A recent project of mine, Chiasmic Play—a collaboration with Scottish Youth Theatre—aimed to create a haptically enhanced theatre performance connecting actors and audiences through full-body sensory experience. We used four Teslasuits, two for actors and two for audience members, but found limitations in accessibility, comfort and scalability.

To address these challenges, I developed a custom device using 3D printing, ESP32s, gyroscopes and bespoke motors to drive environmental haptics responsive to narrative, live music and performer movement. These interactions were captured using Teslasuits and converted into reactive feedback for the audience. The work premiered publicly in June and was well received; the resulting feedback is currently being analysed for publication in JDMI.

My current research focuses on expanding the scope of haptic technology and exploring multisensory interaction in large-scale performances. Working with the CoSTAR National Lab, I’m developing methods for collecting live audience signals in music-based shows, transforming them into real-time creative input for performers.

Across all my projects, I’m driven by collaboration—working with artists, technologists and performers to create environments where audiences feel physically and emotionally present. I believe that multisensory storytelling, supported by emerging tools, has the potential to make performance art more accessible, inclusive and immersive.

Dr Naman Merchant is a creative technologist and lecturer at Abertay University whose work merges real-time simulation, interactive media and high-performance computing. His projects, including Chiasmic Play, Rhizoma, You Are Being Followed and Dislectek, redefine accessibility and immersion in performance and digital storytelling. By blending haptic devices, AI and game-engine tools, Naman pioneers new forms of sensory engagement that deepen audience connection and expand the boundaries of creative technology.

Gregor White

Abertay Uniiversity

 

View all innovators