Gemma Shusterman‘s Endangered Senses project was inspired by our tendency to equate our perceptions to those of the rest of the natural world and evaluate other systems solely in terms of human experience. The Elephant Costume investigates the pachyderms’ ability to detect infrasonic and seismic vibrations.

As the telescoping sleeves of the garment reach the floor, the wearer is asked to sacrifice defining human characteristics (bipedal, with opposable thumbs) in order to experience a supplemental sense. The sensor is an accelerometer which picks up vibrations in the range of 5-20 hz, extending below humanly detectable limits. The signal is processed to make it audible to humans and broadcast to create a shared sensory experience.
The costume is part of the second Seamless fashion show, to be held on February 1, at the Boston Museum of Science.