beatclipse

november 2017 - december 2017

role // design + manufacturing

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growing increasingly interested in intelligent & interactive products after taking "embodied interfaces", a robotics-based art class at stanford, i wanted to challenge myself to build a "smart" piece of furniture. i decided to build the concept for a loveseat...but not just any loveseat.

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beatclipse has a heart rate monitor built into each side, and tracks the real-time difference in heartrate BPM between two loveseat users in real time. two arms extend from the main seat - a sun and a moon (the chair itself has earth engraved into it), and the arms move closer/farther based on the BPM difference. when users' hearts are exactly in sync, the chair transforms to form an eclipse, creating a lighthearted, romantic game. i placed it in my dorm and it has been a hit attraction!

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rather than simply design a functional piece of furniture, beatclipse also provides a unique and unforgettable experience for its users.

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field notes //

biggest overcome obstacle: designing a software system that has a tangible, symbolic, and artistic user interface.

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