Experiencing the More-than-Human Through Human Augmentation
arXiv Preprint Archive November 16, 2025 Botao 'Amber' Hu, Danlin Huang
This paper proposes a design approach called MtHtHA (or ">HtH+") that repurposes human augmentation technologies to create temporary, embodied first-person experiences approximating nonhuman sensory experiences, such as bat-like echolocation or octopus-like distributed agency. Grounded in eco-phenomenology and eco-somatics, the approach aims to cultivate ecological awareness, empathy, and care across species boundaries. The authors articulate seven design principles and report five design cases: EchoVision, FeltSight, FungiSync, TentacUs, and City of Sparkles. They discuss implications for more-than-human aesthetics and design practice, arguing that such augmentation can help bridge the gap in phenomenal access to nonhuman Umwelten.