Cosplay costumes have traditionally been passive artefacts whose behaviours are controlled entirely by the wearer. This project investigates how Internet connectivity reshapes the cosplay experience by enabling audience members to remotely manipulate costume behaviours through mobile applications. Unlike typical wearable interactions where costumes respond to environmental stimuli or the player's own movements, this research explores scenarios in which third parties gain direct control over costume elements such as lights, sounds, and motorised components. The IoT Skullfort costume was built as a demonstrator platform, incorporating Arduino-based electronics, 3D-printed structural components, and wireless communication modules that connect the costume to a companion mobile application. Through the app, audience members can trigger specific costume behaviours in real time, creating a shared and participatory entertainment experience.
Focus groups conducted with cosplay community experts highlighted new opportunities for collaborative performance and audience engagement, while also surfacing design and usability challenges specific to audience-influenced costumes. Participants identified concerns around consent, control boundaries, and the balance between wearer autonomy and audience agency, raising important questions about how shared control should be negotiated in wearable technology.
The findings contribute to understanding how connected wearable technology can transform traditionally individual creative practices into socially interactive experiences within the cosplay community and beyond. The project demonstrates that IoT-enabled costumes open new design spaces for participatory entertainment, while also highlighting the need for careful consideration of social dynamics and user consent.
