Brief:
Due to the pandemic, people are forced to keep their distance from each other to stay safe.
This means that you can't show any physical affection to your loved ones, and based on our research the lack of physical affection can lead to a mental illness called “touch deprivation” with symptoms including but not limited to: depression, loneliness and aggressive behavior.
So, how might we create a device that shows physical affection from a distance while also warning the user when they’re closer than 1.5m from other people?
So, how might we create a device that shows physical affection from a distance while also warning the user when they’re closer than 1.5m from other people?
Final Pre-Model
Process:
Ideation
Sketches
Mockups
How it works:
The device comes in 2 parts, the vest and the wristband.
The wristband connects to the vest wirlessly using bluetooth technology. The screen on the wristband displays all the users within a 3m radius, and you can pick the user you want to send a “hug” to. Said user then gets a request on their screen and they can either, accept by pressing the button, or decline by ignoring. If the request is accepted, both users’ vests heat up for a few seconds in sensitive areas where you would usually feel the person's body heat, mimicking the feeling of a hug. There is also a sensor on the wristband that detects when someone is closer than 1.5m and alerts the user by ringing until they move away.
User Manual
