Can you feel me now?
With social distancing being the “new normal”, it has unknowingly washed off the affection of touch. Digital well-being apps & health wearables have made us hold on to healthy, sanity & productivity but we’ve missed physically comforting each other in times of crisis.
Bringing improved touch experience to the digital world
Problem:
In the era of social distancing, the absence of physical touch has led to emotional and mental well-being challenges. People are missing the comfort and support that comes from physical interactions like handshakes and hugs.
Solution:
The Haptic Sleeve aims to reduce emotional disconnection by 50% and decrease stress and anxiety by 40% among users by providing simulated tactile sensations. It intends to enhance the sense of connection, support, and overall mental well-being.
When the future is digital & virtual, why can’t touch be one of the better ways of expressing ourselves there?
Project Duration
Nov- Dec 2022, 4 weeks
My Role
UI/UX Designer
Platforms
Haptic glove, Mobile
My Focus
Ideation, Research, Interaction design, UI/UX design
Client
Self Initiated
”How might we help humans express their emotions through tactile experiences so that they can feel loved and cared for, wherever they go?”
Human touch is at risk in the digital world. Of disappearing. Neglected touch. Low touch. No touch. Not enough touch. Touch hunger. Skin starvation. Touch deprivation. Remote. Distant. Missing.
User Testing
To test the validity of the Touch, we studied how people expressed their empathy when someone conveyed their misfortune.
We tested out our theory where we noticed that people expressed their sympathy through hand gestures and actions. We saw how they comforted our teammates through actions like the clasping of hands, pats on the back, backhand rubs and simply holding hands.
Solution
Introducing social touch to the digital world through tactile mediums to support humans with their emotional/ mental well-being.
The Haptic Sleeve
Solution 1
The Haptic Sleeve is a wearable device that simulates tactile sensations by sending haptic messages and touch to the user through hand gestures.
app
Solution 2
The Haptic Sleeve is a wearable device that simulates tactile sensations by sending haptic messages and touch to the user through hand gestures.
Touch helps people connect using haptics
Sharing experiences with friends & family
Sending messages to the user through hand gestures
Thermal control and pressure control
Storyboarding the user’s journey with Haptic Sleeve
The storyboard helped us to visualize how the haptic sleeve would be used by various users in different situations.
For stress relief
Touch trains your nervous system to bounce back from stress more quickly, making it easier to go from “fight or flight” to “rest and digest.”
Embedded vibration
Touch works by engaging with touch, delivering silent, soothing vibrations that help you feel safe and in control.
Connect with gesture
Connect with your loved one to let them know how you feeling with one simple hand movement
Feel the touch of your loved ones, from miles away
Paper Prototype
Different interactions performed with the wearable hand sleeve with input transmitting the haptics and output delivering the haptics to other is shown.
How it works
Front and Back view of the prototype where, capacitive conducting sheets are placed in palm, thumb and index and middle fingers to sense the touch points and on the backside, the Arduino with thermal sensor & Vibration motors are present.
Components Used
Arduino Nano 33
Vibrating motors
Thermocouple sensor
Thin, cotton gloves
Mini USB Power bank
simple, small breadboard
Bluetooth module
Haptic feedback is given with a small LRA motor installed on the fingertips.
Touch feedback is received with a Thermo conducting sheet coupled to a thermal Sensor. Battery installed on the back of the wrist
Sensors present on the Thumb and index part of the sleeves for taking the touch input and delivers to the app
Reflection
Key usability issues discovered from the usability evaluation:
The wearable sleeve prototype may be too bulky or awkward to wear comfortably for extended periods of time.
The controls for the prototype may be confusing or difficult to use, particularly for users who are not tech-savvy.
The range of tactile sensations provided by the prototype may be limited or not suitable for all users.
The companion app may be difficult to navigate or understand.
There may be potential ethical concerns with the prototype or app, such as discomfort or privacy issues.
These design and usability issues had a significant impact on the effectiveness and user-friendliness of the wearable sleeve and application. By identifying and addressing these issues through user testing and design iteration, we were able to create a more effective and user-friendly product that helps people feel supported and connected, even when they are socially distant from others.
Next steps
Record and share touch/ tap motions
Customising touch motions and gestures and then recording them will help users on the other end to calm down to touch motions that they are familiar with.
Interactions beyond the coping up panic attacks
Digital social touch opens up a new way to reduce stress and anxiety not only during panic attacks but also can help people to engage with new people.
The interactions we primarily dealt with were tackling panic and anxiety attacks, apart from them, we strive to further develop our product to achieve an overall mental well-being aid.
Integrating with everyday wear- As a fashion statement
Customizable sleeve options and hidden wiring would be the next step in order to help people wear this every day without standing out in a very awkward way.