In her research Neidlinger combines work within the eHealth, Human Media Interaction, and Wearable Robotics research groups. Her latest experiment aimed to observe and record how a group of people using the moodsweater behaved when interacting. ‘We wanted to see how a team of users would click,’ she explained.
Moodsweater
The moodsweater is a technological garment that is worn around the neck. The device is equipped with a pair of GER sensors that measure the electrodermal activity from its user’s hands. This activity is then translated into a color that corresponds to a specific physiological state. The colors range from blue, meaning the user is calm, to warmer colors that show nervousness or excitement. By changing its color in real-time, the moodsweater gives immediate biofeedback to its user, while simultaneously showing other people how he or she is feeling.
Participants were asked to perform several activities that altered their emotions. Gathered in groups of four, people had to stare into each other’s eyes while holding hands, or mirror each other’s dancing. During these activities, the participants perceived the moodsweater’s interpretation of their physiological states and exposed their changing emotions to the rest of the group.
Why wear a moodsweater?
Neidlinger’s ultimate goal is to promote ‘extimacy,’ what she describes as externalized intimacy. ‘I’m interested in understanding how this device can lead to higher levels of self-awareness, but I mostly expect the design to increase empathy and improve the communication among a group of users,’ says the ‘therapeutic biomedia’ designer. ‘I hope to aid people with Sensory Processing Disorders, such as autism, with a technology that helps them read other people’s emotions.’
