Final Project Plan
Team Members
Krystle Li, Daniel Powell, Brendan Vance
Project Idea
Our project applies soft circuits in the creation of a telepresence experience
between two people in an intimate relationship. The first person has a pillow that,
when hugged, transmits the sensation of that hug to a second person at a distant
location. The physical force of the hug against the pillow is transformed into
vibrations against the receiving person’s chest (through actuators embedded in
their shirt), which emulate the heartbeat of the sender; the pillow itself also vibrates
with an identical pattern, suggesting the presence of the receiving person. Though
the sender’s interaction is conducted in a private, intimate space, the receiver may
be anywhere, and for this reason the output signal is discrete (vibration can only be
sensed by the receiver) yet intimate (the receiver experiences the sensation of a
shared heartbeat). The result is the connection of two distant people through a
shared heartbeat. The person acting as receiver is intended to experience comfort
knowing that he is in the thoughts of the sender, while the sender is intended to gain
the sense of connection that fuelled her desire to hug a pillow in the first place; the
vibrators in the pillow respond to the hugging of the pillow itself, as opposed to
some interaction on the receiver’s part, so that this sensation of connection is
maintained even in the event that the receiver is unavailable (asleep, busy, or not
wearing the shirt). This project will be an elaboration on sketch 1, including a more
sophisticated approach to interaction and embodiment while also solving the major
technical issues with the sensing apparatus.
Timeline
Work Breakdown
Krystle: Sewing, conceptual research
Brendan: Schematics, code, wireless implementation, sensor implementation
Daniel: Presentation Slides, documentation
Group Timeline
Week 10:
- Acquire all necessary materials:
- Pillow
- Conductive Thread
-
- One Fidgets force sensor
- Several bend sensors
- Four Lilypad vibes
- Two+ Arduino Bluetooth kits
- One USB Bluetooth adapter
- Batteries
Conceptual Research:
- Look into SoftN, affective computing, other related projects
- Do bodystorming, look into possible avenues for expansion
Technical Research:
- Experiment with force vs. bend sensors, determine whether some
different sensor configuration could afford more expressive
interaction
Week 11:
- Sew circuit into pillow
- Design, implement improved force sensing apparatus
- Finalize Arduino code, implement any new features
Week 12:
- Perform extensive self testing
- Fix as many technical issues as possible
- Produce, rehearse final presentation
Week 13:
- Present project
- Edit documentation, prepare video
Individual Timelines
Brendan
Week 10:
- Acquire electronics
- Do bodystorming, expand concept
- Experiment with force vs. bend sensors
Week 11:
- Design, implement improved force sensing apparatus
- Prepare circuit schematics
- Update, test Arduino code; attempt to gain wireless functionality if possible
Week 12:
- Perform code testing, resolve any software issues
-
Perform hardware testing, observe what breaks and then improve it to be
less prone to breaking
Week 13:
- Present project
Krystle
Week 10:
- Either shop around for a suitable pillow or look into making a new pillow
- Purchase (or make) the pillow
- Begin conceptual research
o Look into SoftN, affective computing, related projects
o Categorize some types of embrace (i.e. affectionate embrace, loving
embrace, etc.)
o Look into quality of experience and motion, as it relates to the use and
implementation of sensors
Week 11:
- Sew circuit into pillow
- Complete any other related implementation issues (such as adjustments,
additions, etc.)
Week 12:
- Participate in testing and fixing of any technical/implementation issues
- Rehearse presentation
Week 13:
- Participate in project presentation
Daniel
Week 10:
- Check the library for camera options.
- Secure a camera for filming during weekly team meetings to record progress.
- See what can be done to expand our project on a conceptual level
Week 11:
- Further documenting
Week 12:
- Further documenting!
- Start creating presentation slides
- Offer any aid to project testing.
Week 13:
-
Finalize slides
Begin editing documentation footage.
Research
This project is intended to elaborate on the work we did with sketch 1, both
expanding on the concept as well as resolving the major technical issues with our
sensing apparatus. We intend to perform some bodystorming exercises to
determine whether different qualities of hugs exist and are physically distinct from
one another; if so, we will seek a sensor configuration that detects these distinctions
and find some means of modifying heartbeat output signal appropriately. We also
intend to investigate subtle variations within a hugging motion, perhaps using
variance over time to augment the output signal and ultimately produce more
intimate, ‘analog’ interaction.