This project explores easing feelings of emotional distance from loved ones through ambient technology.
The biofeedback lamp conveys a loved one’s heartbeat through soft light variations, fostering a gentle and ongoing sense of connection.
Artefacts | Wearable Sensor Glove · Biofeedback Lamp |
Duration | Sept 2024 – Dec 2024 (12‑week sprint) |
Tools | Figma · Fusion 360 · Arduino IDE · VS Code · MQTT Explorer · Notion · UserTesting.com · Adobe Premiere |
Impact | 212 visitors @ SVA ixD Open‑Studio (3 min 40 s avg dwell) · 43 % drop in self‑reported separation‑anxiety score (n = 12 pilot pairs) · NPS +54 |
This project explores easing feelings of emotional distance from loved ones through ambient technology.
The biofeedback lamp conveys a loved one’s heartbeat through soft light variations, fostering a gentle and ongoing sense of connection.
Artefacts | Wearable Sensor Glove · Biofeedback Lamp |
Duration | Sept 2024 – Dec 2024 (12‑week sprint) |
Tools | Figma · Fusion 360 · Arduino IDE · VS Code · MQTT Explorer · Notion · UserTesting.com · Adobe Premiere |
Impact | 212 visitors @ SVA ixD Open‑Studio (3 min 40 s avg dwell) · 43 % drop in self‑reported separation‑anxiety score (n = 12 pilot pairs) · NPS +54 |
This project explores easing feelings of emotional distance from loved ones through ambient technology.
The biofeedback lamp conveys a loved one’s heartbeat through soft light variations, fostering a gentle and ongoing sense of connection.
Artefacts | Wearable Sensor Glove · Biofeedback Lamp |
Duration | Sept 2024 – Dec 2024 (12‑week sprint) |
Tools | Figma · Fusion 360 · Arduino IDE · VS Code · MQTT Explorer · Notion · UserTesting.com · Adobe Premiere |
Impact | 212 visitors @ SVA ixD Open‑Studio (3 min 40 s avg dwell) · 43 % drop in self‑reported separation‑anxiety score (n = 12 pilot pairs) · NPS +54 |
Context & Challenge
Adults wrestle with separation anxiety too: endless doom‑scroll checks, midnight “just text me when you’re home” pings.
Our challenge was to craft a low‑friction, always‑available reassurance channel that could ease distance anxiety without adding screens, alarms, or constant texting.
Context & Challenge
Adults wrestle with separation anxiety too: endless doom‑scroll checks, midnight “just text me when you’re home” pings.
Our challenge was to craft a low‑friction, always‑available reassurance channel that could ease distance anxiety without adding screens, alarms, or constant texting.
Context & Challenge
Adults wrestle with separation anxiety too: endless doom‑scroll checks, midnight “just text me when you’re home” pings.
Our challenge was to craft a low‑friction, always‑available reassurance channel that could ease distance anxiety without adding screens, alarms, or constant texting.
Concept Exploration & Selection
Concept Exploration & Selection
Concept Exploration & Selection
We casted a wide net of ideas during a three‑hour lightning brainstorm and a subsequent filter workshop.
Idea | Rationale | Kill/Keep Decision |
Shared Audio Chime | Soft tone plays on paired devices. | Kill – intrusive in quiet spaces; difficult for hearing‑impaired |
Heartbeat | Pocket‑sized stone vibrates | Kill – invisible feedback caused uncertainty; no ambient room presence. |
AR Avatar Halo | Mobile AR shows partner’s avatar aura colour. | Kill – required screens & steady internet; high cognitive load. |
Lamp + Glove (selected) | Ambient room glow + tactile capture feels tangible yet passive. | Keep – tested highest on comfort and zero‑effort presence. |
We casted a wide net of ideas during a three‑hour lightning brainstorm and a subsequent filter workshop.
Idea | Rationale | Kill/Keep Decision |
Shared Audio Chime | Soft tone plays | Kill – intrusive in quiet spaces; difficult for the hearing‑impaired |
Heartbeat | Pocket‑sized stone vibrates | Kill – invisible feedback caused uncertainty; no ambient room presence. |
AR Avatar | Mobile AR | Kill – required screens & steady internet; high cognitive load. |
Lamp + Glove (selected) | Ambient room glow + tactile capture feels tangible yet passive. | Keep – tested highest on comfort and zero‑effort presence. |
We casted a wide net of ideas during a three‑hour lightning brainstorm and a subsequent filter workshop.
Idea | Rationale | Kill/Keep Decision |
Shared Audio | Soft tone plays on paired devices. | Kill – intrusive in quiet spaces; difficult for hearing‑impaired |
Heartbeat | Pocket‑sized stone vibrates | Kill – invisible feedback caused uncertainty; no ambient room presence. |
AR Avatar Halo | Mobile AR shows partner’s avatar aura colour. | Kill – required screens & steady internet; high cognitive load. |
Lamp + Glove (selected) | Ambient room glow + tactile capture feels tangible yet passive. | Keep – tested highest on comfort and zero‑effort presence. |
Introducing The Pulse Between Us, a sensor glove that listens to your heartbeat and a biofeedbacklamp that echoes it across any distance.
Introducing The Pulse Between Us, a sensor glove that listens to your heartbeat and a biofeedbacklamp that echoes it across any distance.
Introducing The Pulse Between Us, a sensor glove that listens to your heartbeat and a biofeedbacklamp that echoes it across any distance.
Market Snapshot
Market Snapshot
No mainstream wellness‐tech product offers ambient, reciprocal bio‑feedback for geographically separated relationships, competitors like Oura or Whoop focus on self‑quantification, not shared reassurance.
IDC estimates the "connected‑care keepsake" market at ≈ US $350 M by 2027.
No mainstream wellness‐tech product offers ambient, reciprocal bio‑feedback for geographically separated relationships, competitors like Oura or Whoop focus on self‑quantification, not shared reassurance.
IDC estimates the "connected‑care keepsake" market at ≈ US $350 M by 2027.
Concept Validation Prototype
Concept Validation Prototype
Before investing in custom electronics, we ran a low‑stake “heartbeat-in-a-cup” mock‑up using a NeoPixel LED strip and a microcontroller.
This helped us validate technical feasibility (power, animation control) and explore how light could evoke a heartbeat-like rhythm.
Concept Validation
(Psychotherapist Conversations)
Concept Validation
(Psychotherapist Conversations)
Concept Validation (Potential‑Customer Sessions)
Six semi‑structured interviews (4 psychotherapists & 2 clinical psychologists)
Six semi‑structured interviews (4 psychotherapists & 2 clinical psychologists)
Tangible heartbeat feedback calms separation anxiety.
Parent with freshman in dorms
Parent with freshman in dorms
Potential Benefits
Student muted phone to study; parent’s unanswered texts spiked anxiety.
Over-reliance risks tech dependency and panic on failure.
Partner with cardiac arrhythmia history
Partner with cardiac arrhythmia history
Clinical Concerns
Rapid heart‑rate spikes triggered alarm when mapped to flashing reds.
Deploy the device only within CBT protocols and schedule device‑free breaks.
Roommate environment
Roommate environment
Recommendations
Bright LEDs disturbed co‑sleepers.
Bright LEDs disturbed co‑sleepers.
Concept Validation
(Potential Customer Sessions)
Concept Validation
(Potential Customer Sessions)
Concept Validation (Potential‑Customer Sessions)
Two rounds of user interviews and diary studies with 10 potential customer pairs (8 long‑distance couples and 2 parent‑child pairs)
Two rounds of user interviews and diary studies with 10 potential customer pairs (8 long‑distance couples and 2 parent‑child pairs)
Two rounds of user interviews and diary studies with 10 potential customer pairs (8 long‑distance couples and 2 parent‑child pairs)
Parent with freshman in dorms
Parent with freshman in dorms
Parent with freshman in dorms
Student muted phone to study; parent’s unanswered texts spiked anxiety.
Student muted phone to study; parent’s unanswered texts spiked anxiety.
Student muted phone to study; parent’s unanswered texts spiked anxiety.
Partner with cardiac arrhythmia history
Partner with cardiac arrhythmia history
Partner with cardiac arrhythmia history
Rapid heart‑rate spikes triggered alarm when mapped to flashing reds.
Rapid heart‑rate spikes triggered alarm when mapped to flashing reds.
Rapid heart‑rate spikes triggered alarm when mapped to flashing reds.
Roommate environment
Roommate environment
Roommate environment
Bright LEDs disturbed co‑sleepers.
Bright LEDs disturbed co‑sleepers.
Bright LEDs disturbed co‑sleepers.
Couple separated across time‑zones
Couple separated across time‑zones
Couple separated across time‑zones
Late‑night video calls led to sleep disruption and battery drain.
Late‑night video calls led to sleep disruption and battery drain.
Late‑night calls led to sleep disruption and battery drain.
Key Design Principles
Key Design Principles
Key Design Principles
Drawing on expert guidance and user observation, we distilled five north‑star truths that shaped every design choice.
Drawing on expert guidance and user observation, we distilled five north‑star truths that shaped every design choice.
Concrete safety signals
Concrete safety signals
Translating pulse into colour gives anxious minds trustworthy evidence
and interrupts catastrophic thoughts.
Presence without intrusion
Presence without intrusion
Ambient light should provide comforting awareness without demanding attention.
Unlike push notifications or sound alerts, a gentle glow offers presence with near‑zero cognitive load.
Calm over alarm
Calm over alarm
Slow and gradual light changes are far more soothing than sudden
flashes or sharp colour shifts.
Slow and gradual light changes are far more soothing than sudden flashes or sharp colour shifts.
Respect circadian quiet
Respect circadian quiet
Ambient light should automatically dim and desaturate after bedtime and ensuring co-sleepers stay undisturbed.
Design Journey
Design Journey
Our development cycle followed a standard build–test–iterate loop. Each prototype surfaced concrete usability or engineering issues, which we resolved before the next round.
Below is a concise record of those iterations, framed by the technical focus of each milestone.
Our development cycle followed a standard build–test–iterate loop. Each prototype surfaced concrete usability or engineering issues, which we resolved before the next round.
Below is a concise record of those iterations, framed by the technical focus of each milestone.
Opto‑Mechanical Form‑Factor Ideation
Opto‑Mechanical Form‑Factor Ideation
Opto‑Mechanical Form‑Factor Ideation
The Lamp: Envisioning a Sunset, not a Valentine
The Lamp: Envisioning a Sunset, not a Valentine
The Lamp: Envisioning a Sunset, not a Valentine
Translating an abstract mood board into physical form, we prototyped several shapes and gathered rapid user feedback before committing to materials.
Translating an abstract mood board into physical form, we prototyped several shapes and gathered rapid user feedback before committing to materials.
Initial concept: A lamp with a dome-like shape with a lattice or waffle-like pattern.
Initial concept: A lamp with a dome-like shape with a lattice or waffle-like pattern.
Initial concept: A lamp with a dome-like shape with a lattice or waffle-like pattern.
Feedback: Users perceived the lamp as novelty décor, not a calming object.
Revision: Adopted a semi‑circular MDF arc with a static gradient diffuser that simulates the setting sun through colour falloff.
Revision: Adopted a semi‑circular MDF arc with a static gradient diffuser that simulates the setting sun through colour falloff.
Revision: Adopted a semi‑circular MDF arc with a static gradient diffuser that simulates the setting sun through colour falloff.
Photometric Diffusion Calibration
Photometric Diffusion Calibration
Photometric Diffusion Calibration
Finding the Right Glow
Finding the Right Glow
Finding the Right Glow
We measured, tweaked, and measured again, chasing a light level that felt comforting rather than clinical.
We measured, tweaked, and measured again, chasing a light level that felt comforting rather than clinical.
Inital Concept: We experimented with a range of materials to observe how they interacted with projected light and affected diffusion, color, and mood.
Inital Concept: We experimented with a range of materials to observe how they interacted with projected light and affected diffusion, color, and mood.
Inital Concept: We experimented with a range of materials to observe how they interacted with projected light and affected diffusion, color, and mood.
Feedback: Holographic film produced hotspots and excessive brightness (1,200 lux at 30 cm).
Feedback: Holographic film produced hotspots and excessive brightness (1,200 lux at 30 cm).
Revision: Replaced with sand‑blasted convex glass and increased diffuser distance by 10 mm, final output averaged 350 lux
Revision: Replaced with sand‑blasted convex glass and increased diffuser distance by 10 mm, final output averaged 350 lux
Revision: Replaced with sand‑blasted convex glass and increased diffuser distance by 10 mm, final output averaged 350 lux
Firmware BPM‑to‑PWM Algorithms
Firmware BPM‑to‑PWM Algorithms
Firmware BPM‑to‑PWM Algorithms
Teaching the Lamp to Breathe
Teaching the Lamp to Breathe
Teaching the Lamp to Breathe
We measured, tweaked, and measured again, chasing a light level that felt comforting rather than clinical.
Inital Concept: Mapping heartbeats to light that spoke both biology and perception, so we iterated alongside user observation.
Inital Concept: Mapping heartbeats to light that spoke both biology and perception, so we iterated alongside user observation.
Inital Concept: Mapping heartbeats to light that spoke both biology and perception, so we iterated alongside user observation.
Problem: Early iterations mapped >100 BPM to flashing reds, which users interpreted as alarm signals.
Problem: Early iterations mapped >100 BPM to flashing reds, which users interpreted as alarm signals.
Revision: Compressed BPM range to 50–100 and shifted palette from warm gold (resting) to cool teal (elevated), and mplemented a 5 s sine‑wave fade (≈6 breaths/min) for biofeedback alignment.
Revision: Compressed BPM range to 50–100 and shifted palette from warm gold (resting) to cool teal (elevated), and mplemented a 5 s sine‑wave fade (≈6 breaths/min) for biofeedback alignment.
Revision: Compressed BPM range to 50–100 and shifted palette from warm gold (resting) to cool teal (elevated), and mplemented a 5 s sine‑wave fade (≈6 breaths/min) for biofeedback alignment.
Haptic Sensor Ergonomics
Haptic Sensor Ergonomics
Haptic Sensor Ergonomics
From Breadboard to Handshake
From Breadboard to Handshake
From Breadboard to Handshake
We measured, tweaked, and measured again, chasing a light level that felt comforting rather than clinical.
We measured, tweaked, and measured again, chasing a light level that felt comforting rather than clinical.
Inital Concept: A guided prototype for a biometric sensing to encourage stillness and correct hand placement for accurate sensor readings.
Inital Concept: A guided prototype for a biometric sensing to encourage stillness and correct hand placement for accurate sensor readings.
Inital Concept: A guided prototype for a biometric sensing to encourage stillness and correct hand placement for accurate sensor readings.
Feedback: Exposed wires and breadboard created a clinical look and inconsistent sensor contact.
Feedback: Exposed wires and breadboard created a clinical look and inconsistent sensor contact.
Revision: Milled a cedar finger‑cradle, embedded the MAX30102 sensor flush, and moved wiring to an internal harness. On the wearable, a stretch glove with felt underlay improved fit across finger sizes (n = 8 users).
Revision: Milled a cedar finger‑cradle, embedded the MAX30102 sensor flush, and moved wiring to an internal harness. On the wearable, a stretch glove with felt underlay improved fit across finger sizes (n = 8 users).
Revision: Milled a cedar finger‑cradle, embedded the MAX30102 sensor flush, and moved wiring to an internal harness. On the wearable, a stretch glove with felt underlay improved fit across finger sizes (n = 8 users).
Exhibit Way‑finding & On‑Stand UX
Exhibit Way‑finding & On‑Stand UX
Exhibit Way‑finding & On‑Stand UX
At our December 2024 SVA ixD Open‑Studio exhibition, we split the gallery into two mirror zones to dramatize the lamp’s promise of collapsing distance.
At our December 2024 SVA ixD Open‑Studio exhibition, we split the gallery into two mirror zones to dramatize the lamp’s promise of collapsing distance.
Entrance Signage
We welcomed guests with a concise challenge—“Transform your heartbeat into light.” This set the emotional premise before any technical explanation.
Overview board
It distilled the problem and promise in plain language, helping even non‑designers grasp the intent in under 30 seconds.
Setup Guidelines
We walked visitors through connection steps, eliminating most onboarding questions heard during early pilots. Additionally, it ensured reliable sensor contact, boosting valid‑read success from 68 % to 92 %.
The Pulse‑to‑Color BPM Guide
It taught users how hue mapped to physiology, helping them self‑calibrate anxiety responses.
Entrance Signage
We welcomed guests with a concise challenge—“Transform your heartbeat into light.” This set the emotional premise before any technical explanation.
Overview board
It distilled the problem and promise in plain language, helping even non‑designers grasp the intent in under 30 seconds.
Setup Guidelines
We walked visitors through connection steps, eliminating most onboarding questions heard during early pilots. Additionally, it ensured reliable sensor contact, boosting valid‑read success from 68 % to 92 %.
The Pulse‑to‑Color BPM Guide
It taught users how hue mapped to physiology, helping them self‑calibrate anxiety responses.
Entrance Signage
We welcomed guests with a concise challenge—“Transform your heartbeat into light.” This set the emotional premise before any technical explanation.
Overview board
It distilled the problem and promise in plain language, helping even non‑designers grasp the intent in under 30 seconds.
Setup Guidelines
We walked visitors through connection steps, eliminating most onboarding questions heard during early pilots. Additionally, it ensured reliable sensor contact, boosting valid‑read success from 68 % to 92 %.
The Pulse‑to‑Color BPM Guide
It taught users how hue mapped to physiology, helping them self‑calibrate anxiety responses.
Entrance Signage
We welcomed guests with a concise challenge—“Transform your heartbeat into light.” This set the emotional premise before any technical explanation.
Overview board
It distilled the problem and promise in plain language, helping even non‑designers grasp the intent in under 30 seconds.
Setup Guidelines
We walked visitors through connection steps, eliminating most onboarding questions heard during early pilots. Additionally, it ensured reliable sensor contact, boosting valid‑read success from 68 % to 92 %.
The Pulse‑to‑Color BPM Guide
It taught users how hue mapped to physiology, helping them self‑calibrate anxiety responses.
Entrance Signage
We welcomed guests with a concise challenge—“Transform your heartbeat into light.” This set the emotional premise before any technical explanation.
Overview board
It distilled the problem and promise in plain language, helping even non‑designers grasp the intent in under 30 seconds.
Setup Guidelines
We walked visitors through connection steps, eliminating most onboarding questions heard during early pilots.
Entrance Signage welcomed guests with a concise challenge—“Transform your heartbeat into light.”
The Pulse‑to‑Color BPM Guide
It taught users how hue mapped to physiology, helping them self‑calibrate anxiety responses.
Outcome & Impact
Four rapid sprints, six hardware revs, and a dozen late‑night play‑tests paid off.
Here’s what we tracked
Metric | Result | How We Measured |
Studio Visitors | 212 uniques in 6 h | Click‑counter + observation |
Avg Dwell Time | 3 min 40 s | Stopwatch sampling |
User NPS | +54 | 0–10 survey |
Battery Life | 28 h continuous | Bench test |
Latency | 140 ms median | Ping logs |
Four rapid sprints, six hardware revs, and a dozen late‑night play‑tests paid off.
Here’s what we tracked
Metric | Result | How We Measured |
Studio | 212 unique | Click‑counter |
Avg Dwell Time | 3 min 40 s | Stopwatch sampling |
User NPS | +54 | 0–10 survey |
Battery Life | 28 h continuous | Bench test |
Latency | 140 ms | Ping logs |
Reflections
Quiet > Clever. Participants preferred the sub‑300 lux "breathing" glow to any flashy biometric visualization. Restraint—both in hue palette and motion curve—proved more persuasive than novelty.
Form Follows Wiring. Clean cable routing guided the lamp’s semi‑circular MDF frame, magnet‑held joints, and internal light‑leak baffles—turning engineering constraints into deliberate aesthetic features rather than compromises.
Narrative Is Part of UX. Splitting the room into Brooklyn and Bangalore zones did more than theme the space—it primed visitors to feel distance before witnessing its collapse. Storytelling amplified the hardware’s emotional value.
Metrics With Meaning. Cutting anxiety scores by 43 % means little unless users feel safer. The diary study confirmed that the glow translated into fewer late‑night check‑ins and improved sleep scores—a reminder to pair numbers with lived experience.
Reflections
Quiet > Clever. Participants preferred the sub‑300 lux "breathing" glow to any flashy biometric visualization. Restraint—both in hue palette and motion curve—proved more persuasive than novelty.
Form Follows Wiring. Clean cable routing guided the lamp’s semi‑circular MDF frame, magnet‑held joints, and internal light‑leak baffles—turning engineering constraints into deliberate aesthetic features rather than compromises.
Narrative Is Part of UX. Splitting the room into Brooklyn and Bangalore zones did more than theme the space—it primed visitors to feel distance before witnessing its collapse. Storytelling amplified the hardware’s emotional value.
Metrics With Meaning. Cutting anxiety scores by 43 % means little unless users feel safer. The diary study confirmed that the glow translated into fewer late‑night check‑ins and improved sleep scores—a reminder to pair numbers with lived experience.
Reflections
Quiet > Clever. Participants preferred the sub‑300 lux "breathing" glow to any flashy biometric visualization. Restraint—both in hue palette and motion curve—proved more persuasive than novelty.
Form Follows Wiring. Clean cable routing guided the lamp’s semi‑circular MDF frame, magnet‑held joints, and internal light‑leak baffles—turning engineering constraints into deliberate aesthetic features rather than compromises.
Narrative Is Part of UX. Splitting the room into Brooklyn and Bangalore zones did more than theme the space—it primed visitors to feel distance before witnessing its collapse. Storytelling amplified the hardware’s emotional value.
Metrics With Meaning. Cutting anxiety scores by 43 % means little unless users feel safer. The diary study confirmed that the glow translated into fewer late‑night check‑ins and improved sleep scores—a reminder to pair numbers with lived experience.