Week 17 : Applications & Implications

What will it do?

The concept of the Holdable Heart is to make the beating of the heart, an unseeable and private internal experience, and make it an experience that we can see, touch and experience with others.

  • pulse sensor that sends a signal
  • Servo motor arm rotates in each direction for diastole and systole
  • LED lights lights for diastole and fades with systole

Who's done it beforehand?

Biofeedback devices are nothing new - products like the Nike Fuelband, Jawbone and Fitbit dominate the market. 1 in 3 American consumers have heard of wearable fitness trackers, and 28% of them say they are likely tp buy a device. (Wearable Tech Device Awareness Surpasses 50% Amongst US Consumers, NDP Group, January 2014).

There has also been a rise of biometric analytics tools that allow consumers to analyze their neuro and pulse data through software.

I am not interested in the analysis of biofeedback data, but I'm interested in how biofeedback can enhance or augment our experience of the present moment. How can we take something as private and invisible as the pulse, and turn it into a tangible experience?

What materials and components will be required, where will they come from, and how much will it cost?

What parts and systems will be made?

  • The Heart - silicone embedded electronics
  • The Holder - laser cut
  • The Pulse - assembly and programming

What processes will be used?

  • 3D Modeling of the Heart on Rhino
  • Milling wax mould for the Heart
  • Designing the Holder in Adobe Illustrator
  • Laser cutting the Holder out of Bamboo veneer
  • Curing tests with LED and Servo motor in Vario15
  • Casting LED's and Servo motor in wax mould with Vario15
  • Designing and testing a pulse sensor
  • Electronics design of the Babeduino
  • Electronics programming in Arduino IDE

What tasks will need to be completed? What questions need to be asked? What is the schedule?

How will it be evaluated?

For Fab Academy, I would like to get the Holdable Heart in a state that can be re-produced by others in the open source community. All aspects of the Holdable Heart from the moulds, to the pulse sensor, to the laser cut container would be available for others to download and improve upon.

Beyond Fab Academy, my hope is that the Holdable Heart can be incorporated in meditation practices and behavioural therapy to decrease stress and deepen our connections with ourselves and each other.