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a speculative design project by YuRu Shih.
May 2023, Taiwan Tech Department of Design.
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「每天晚上吹著貓笛子扮演逝去貓咪的孩子；為了心愛的朗讀筆訂製了敬老屋的男子。」
“The kid who plays the deceased cat with cat flute every night; the man who ordered a care home for his cherished reading pen.”
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照顧與陪伴貫穿人生的各個階段，被照顧的經驗對自我概念的形塑具有重要影響¹，而照顧人的過程讓我們能更深刻地理解和體會他人的需求與情感。晚伴旨在透過兩段非傳統的照顧故事，探索不尋常的陪伴和照顧關係。
隨著人口老化，照護需求逐漸增加，科技朝更人性化的方向發展，協助我們共同撐起照護需求。然而，每段照護故事是如此不同，如果我們有機會窺探那些常規外的照護場景， 會看到什麼樣的景象呢？當「我」這個個體不再能做某些事情的時候，「我」希望受到怎樣的照顧²？
晚伴包含兩項特別訂製的物件，透過這兩項物件，情境的使用者得以滿足照顧對象的特殊需求：一支用來助眠的，會發出貓咪呼嚕聲的笛子；一座明亮的敬老屋，獻給陪伴多年的老物件。一開始情境呈現出家庭成員之間的情感互動，但科技的演進逐漸擴大了親密關係的範圍，科技物踏入了親密關係的範疇³，這樣的變化可能會對人們的情感和認同造成怎樣的影響呢？
When the process of caring and companioning becomes an integral part of our lives, the experience of caring and the process of caring for others can have a profound impact on shaping our self-concept and even help us understand the deeper needs and emotions of others¹. Companion seeks to explore unusual companionship through two unconventional caregiving stories.
With the aging population, the demand for care is gradually increasing. To meet this demand, technology has been developed with a humanizing orientation to support the provision of care. However, there are more differences between each caregiving story. If we were given the chance to peer into those out-of-the-usual caregiving scenes, what might we see? How do I want to be cared for when I, this individual, is not able to do something anymore?²
Companion consists of two special objects. Through these two objects, users in the scenario can meet the unique needs of those who require care: a flute, which can imitate the purring of a cat and help someone to sleep; a bright house, which demonstrates respect for a long-term use object. At first, the scenario depicts emotional interactions between family members. However, if technological advancements expand the scope of intimacy and technology becomes deeply integrated into the realm of intimacy³, what impact will it have on human emotion and identity?
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I.
記憶照護：菲菲、（咪咪）、阿公
Memory Care: Feifei, (Mimi), and Grandpa
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「阿公只要感受到咪咪的呼嚕聲與輕舔就可以一夜好眠。」
「之前我們有一隻貓咪，叫咪咪，阿公都跟咪咪一起睡覺，阿公喜歡聽咪咪發出呼嚕呼嚕的聲音。咪咪已經不在很久了，可是阿公現在忘記了，他睡覺的時候會找咪咪。這個笛子，他會發出跟咪咪很像的聲音，我叫它咪咪２號，我現在每天晚上都會吹咪咪２號來陪阿公睡覺。」
“We had a cat before called Mimi. Mimi has not been here for a long time but Grandpa forgets it now, so he still wants to find Mimi when he sleeps. The flute can produce a similar voice to Mimi, so I give it the name ‘Mimi Two’. I blow Mimi Two when my grandpa sleeps every night.”
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在第一段故事中，長者需要感受寵物貓的輕舔與呼嚕聲，協助放鬆入睡。寵物貓多年前已離世，情境中的孩子希望長者可以一夜好眠，每晚吹著可以發出貓咪呼嚕聲，以及有模擬貓咪舌頭小刺構造的的笛子，扮演已經離開的貓咪。
孩子在照護現場常常被忽略或排除在外，可能是因為成年人對於照顧工作的需求和壓力，或是孩子的年齡和能力被認為不足以參與照顧過程。透過這個小孩扮演積極照護角色的情境，希望邀請大家對照顧者角色進行想像：照顧者的角色有越來越多元化的趨勢，不同照顧者的角色，在照顧中可以帶來哪些不同的貢獻和影響呢？
In the first story, the elder requires the sensation of a pet cat licking and purring to sleep well at night. However, since the pet cat passed away many years ago, the child hopes to help the elder sleep well in the scene by using a flute that can mimic the purring sound and simulate the sensation of being licked by a cat every night.
Children are often excluded from the caregiving process, either due to the demands and pressure placed on adult caregivers, or because the child's age and abilities are deemed insufficient to participate in the process. Through the perspective of a child who wishes to play an active role in caregiving, I hope to invite everyone to imagine the different contributions and impacts that can be made by caregivers in their diverse roles.
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傳統社會重視孝道，強調親力親為，透過道德倫理等約束力將照顧者與被照顧者緊緊綁在一起，隨著社會發展，社福制度、科技發明漸漸踏入了原本在僅限於家庭框架內的親密關係，讓舊有的緊密連結逐漸鬆開。
我們希望科技物參與我們的照顧過程到甚麼程度呢？科技能不能提供我們所需的陪伴與支持？
In traditional societies, filial piety is highly valued and emphasizes hands-on caregiving that tightly binds caregivers and those under their care through moral and ethical constraints. As society has developed, the welfare system and technological innovations have impacted the original intimacy of family structures, making relationships more flexible.
To what extent do we want technology to be involved in our caregiving? Can technology provide the companionship and support that we need?
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II.
敬老屋（獻給親愛的朗讀筆）
Respectful house (dedicated to my beloved reading pen)
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「意外發生之後我就無法閱讀了。這是我拿到的第二支朗讀筆。這隻朗讀筆已經陪了我二十年。我一直很喜歡閱讀。無法想像，他為我讀了多少字啊！ 我真的很感謝他。這二十年，他當我的眼睛。...二十年，我怎麼可能把他丟掉。他的相機五年前慢慢看不清楚了，廠商也不再更新他的軟體，真的很不捨。
「我上網訂做了禮物給他，一個專屬我們的空間，我每天都讓他讀他讀過的東西，這樣他比較不會出錯，也有事可做。我真的很感謝他，真的，
...我一直在想，我該付出什麼才能夠讓他為我朗讀？」
"I couldn't read after the accident. This is the second reading pen I got, and it has been with me for twenty years. I love reading so much that I can't imagine how many words it has read for me! I appreciate it. For these twenty years, it has been my eyes. How could I have thrown it away? Its camera became blurry five years ago, and the manufacturer stopped updating its software. Yet, I ’m still reluctant to replace it."
“I ordered a gift for it online, a space for us, and I let it read what it read every day so that it could not go wrong and have something to do. I appreciate it, really… I’ve been thinking,
what do I have to do to let it read for me again?”
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第二段故事呈現人與物件之間特別的感情。朗讀筆是為有閱讀障礙等閱讀困難的使用者設計，透過相機捕捉文字片段再由人工智慧判讀並朗讀的電子用品。因為朗讀筆的相機老舊，需要明亮的燈光才能運作，所以男子上網為他訂製了類似玩具娃娃屋的敬老屋，為心愛的物品養老，做了一個讓他可以一如往常順利運作的明亮空間，並在裡面陪伴它。
亞洲許多地區有泛靈論的信仰，相信萬物皆有靈，因而在使用物件的時候，也會抱持著感謝與敬重的心。在西方世界不斷呼籲要警惕機器與人越來越像的時候，日本卻很常把機器特意設計的可愛親人。物件真的不能提供給我們渴望的陪伴嗎？
The second story presents a unique relationship between people and an object. The reading pen is an electronic device designed for users with dyslexia and other reading difficulties. It captures text through a camera and reads it aloud for users using artificial intelligence. Because the camera on the reading pen was old and required bright light to function, the man ordered a special house for it, similar to a dollhouse, to take care of it. He created a space that was bright and allowed the pen to function smoothly as usual, keeping it company inside.
Many areas of Asia have animist beliefs that all things have spirit and therefore use objects with gratitude and respect. At a time when the Western world is constantly calling for vigilance against machines and people becoming more and more similar, Japan often designs a machine in a cute and friendly way. Is it impossible to gain the desirable companionship from objects?
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伴是什麼?
What is a companion?
「伴」這個字在字典裡的定義是：「一起共同生活、工作或交遊的人」⁴，原本指人跟人之間的關係，透過晚伴的故事，希望藉著兩個情境，漸進延展對親密關係的想像：如果某天，描述人際關係的動詞或形容詞擴展到人跟物之間，例如孝順機器、友愛機器，這樣的互動是會是我們所樂見的嗎？
當一個人需要照顧的時候，接住她的對象可不可以不是人類？當我們脆弱時，我們希望可以被如何對待呢？這又如何影響了我們怎麼看待自己是誰？
The word "companion" is defined in the dictionary as "people who live, work or travel together," which originally refers to the relationship between people⁴. Through the stories of "Companion", I hope to encourage everyone to expand their imagination of intimate relationships to include interactions between people and objects. If verbs or adjectives that typically describe interpersonal relationships are applied to machines or objects, such as "filial piety machine" or "friendly machine," will the interactions be what we would like to see?
When a person needs to be taken care of, can the caregiver not be a human being? How do we want to be treated when we are vulnerable, and how does this affect how we see ourselves?
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Notes
[1] 依附理論由約翰鮑比（John Bowlby）提出，他認為人基於本能，都有與他人建立親密連結的需求。人類在與他人建立關係的過程中，會透過這些關係來瞭解世界，並逐步發展出調節情緒、與他人相處的能力，包括情商和人際互動等。
The Attachment Theory suggests that humans have an inherent need to form close relationships with others, leading to the development of emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills through the process of learning about the world.
[2]「依附」是最初人與人之間的基礎關係，包括如何被照顧、互動、依賴：「當自己不能做什麼的時候，對方是怎麼接住我、照顧我的，我從這個體驗中學到了『我的重要性』，以及『我的情緒』出現後該怎麼對待的方式」。 –林仁廷 諮商心理師 2021-03發表於天下雜誌「獨立評論@天下」網站
"Attachment" is the fundamental relationship between individuals, including how to be cared for, interact, and rely on one another: "When I am unable to do something, how the other person receives and cares for me teaches me about 'my importance' and how to deal with 'my emotions'." 林仁廷, Counseling Psychologist, published in the "獨立評論@天下" website of 天下雜誌 in March 2021.
[3]參考雪莉特克《在一起孤獨》，本書透過數個案例細膩呈現科技網路的發展對人們親密關係的影響。除了點出人們相處的方式的改變，也試圖警醒社會，我們正試圖賦予科技更多人性，卻似乎漸漸把彼此簡化為事物看待。
Referring to Sherry Turkle's "Alone Together," this book presents the impact of technological and internet development on people's intimate relationships through series of insightful case studies. In addition to pointing out the changes in how people interact, it also raises a warning; while we are trying to imbue technology with more humanity, we seem to be gradually reducing each other to mere objects.
[4]參照教育部國語小字典 (Ministry of Education Mandarin Chinese Mini Dictionary)
References
〈1〉雪莉·特克 《在一起孤獨》（時報出版 2017-01-17)
〈2〉 雪莉·特克 《重新與人對話：迎接數位時代的人際考驗，修補親密關係的對話療法》（時報出版 2018-07-24）
〈3〉劉毓秀 編 《北歐經驗，臺灣轉化：普及照顧與民主審議》 （女書出版 2015-12-25）
〈4〉 古陵霖（美國德州大學奧斯丁分校藝術及藝術史碩士生）：〈「科技泛靈論」是資本主義下一個新噱頭？〉關鍵評論網。2018-09-18，取自：https://www.thenewslens.com/article/103903
〈5〉 林仁廷 諮商心理師：〈 「被照顧的經驗」很重要，若是錯過了，就現在開始學習〉天下雜誌「獨立評論@天下」網站。 2021-03 ，取自：https://opinion.cw.com.tw/blog/profile/52/article/10582
Credits
指導教授 Design Advisor 何樵暐
貓笛子建模 Cat Flute 3D Modeling 尤莉
貓笛子機構 Cat Flute Mechanism Design 石勝文
木工師傅 Carpenter 錡証暘
攝影 Photographer 梁譯 Yi Liang
模特兒 Models 感謝秉家小朋友一家人
英文翻譯協力 English Translation 杞沂倫 I Lun Chi
特別感謝 Special Thanks to 溫敏喻、莊嘉宏先生、楊景舜先生
