Wearable devices like the highly anticipated Apple Watch that will be in the shops next week show that the border between human and machine is gradually fading. Technology tends to come upon on us more and more. The big question is: To what extent will we tolerate this? How do we design intimate technology?

Droog Foundation invited Koert van Mensvoort (Next Nature Network), Maria Verstappen (Driessens & Verstappen), Hendrik-Jan Grievink (Next Nature Network) and Marjolijn Heerings (Rathenau Institute) to reflect on this. Heerings is a junior researcher who works on the projects ‘Patients know better’ and ‘Quantified self’ and designers Driessens & Verstappen created the Tickle robot, which is a small autonomous robot that gives a pleasurable tickling skin massage. Hendrik-Jan Grievink will present a speculative intimate device that might be on the market in 10 years. Koert van Mensvoort lead the conversation about intimate design and intimate technology.