Embrace Process
Prompt: Design a product for people who live and work in a small space or away from home.
Problem
Keeping in contact with family can be a challenge to ones mental health. Neglecting this can really effect ones state of mind in a negative way by causing them to feel alone and depressed. Even if they do have time to talk to their loved ones, nothing beats the feeling of being with them in person.
Long Distance Relationships
​
People in long distance relationships face geographical separation often and lose the face to face contact that most partner or families experience.
25% - 50% of LDR consist of college students
79% of families use the internet to communicate
Non-Verbal Communication
Humans tend to feel more connected with others not only through verbal communication but also through touch.
Studies show that one can communicate anger, fear, disgust, love, gratitude, sympathy, happiness, and sadness through touch with a 78% percent accuracy.
The Opportunity
Many busy families can't spend much time talking on the phone or through video chat, so an avenue of possibility presents itself.
I would like to design a product that uses non-verbal communication through lighting and touch to help bridge the long distance gap between loved ones.
feeling alone
Use of light
The Ideation
​
Each week we had many fun and interesting exercises exploring the different scenarios and situations our user would be in.
A Little Detour
​
During ideation, I learned about how astronauts are very isolated from their families and so I decided to focus on those who live and/or work in space, far from their loved ones.
​
I began to sketch out different types of futuristic utility vests for them to move around the ISS and still link them to their families.
I delved deep into figuring out how the vest would work on an astronaut's back and created a storyboard for this conceptual blue-sky idea.
​
​After experimenting with the idea, I decided to make it more relatable for users who are separated from their loved ones.
Familiar
forms
Playing with Form
​
I conducted a form study to visualize which shape would be most comfortable for someone to embrace.
I explored three key ideas for the pillow design, aiming for a comfortable and aesthetically pleasing hug-like experience that seamlessly fits into the living room.
Careful consideration of button placement ensured it blends seamlessly with the room's decor, resulting in a final concept that is both stylish and naturally harmonizes with its surroundings.
Existing technology
I was interested in integrating Haptic technology with sensors and actuators to simulate touch through forces, vibrations, or motions in this project.
Additionally, Electroluminescent (EL) Panels, thin laminated sheets crafted from phosphor, generate a vibrant glow when subjected to an electrical current and high frequency.
Mock-up Testing
I created mock-ups to explore the weight, size, and shape of the pillow. The goal was to test different shapes to achieve a comforting resemblance to another person. I incorporated weight pellets to add pressure, inducing a calming sense of relaxation. Additionally, I worked on determining the optimal placement for buttons and electronics inside.
I aimed for a tone that incorporates soft lighting, linen textures, gracefully curved paneling, and a white aesthetic, all harmonizing seamlessly within a living room ambiance.
Embrace
A Long Distance Pillow that uses lighting and touch to connect loved ones that live apart.
Introducing Embrace is an innovative long-distance pillow designed to bring you closer to your loved ones. By harnessing cutting-edge technology such as flexible panel lighting and haptic feedback, it goes beyond distance to create a unique and immersive experience.
Whether you're navigating a long-distance relationship or separated from your loved ones, Embrace the remedy to closing the gap and cultivating a sense of closeness like never before.
Collaborator:
Solo Project
​
Year:
2023
This product brings the idea of personalized Embrace pillows to connect loved ones through virtual hugs. Each person has their own pillow to send and receive affectionate embraces.
When someone receives a virtual hug, their pillow will softly glow, indicating that a loved one is thinking of them. To respond, they press the "receive" button, hug their pillow, and feel a realistic simulated hug through haptic feedback, creating a warm and tangible connection.
Similar to sending text messages, initiating a hug is as easy as double-pressing the left button. By hugging the pillow, the embedded sensors record the touched areas. To send the hug, the user simply long-presses the left button.
For battery preservation, users have the option to turn off the pillow when not in use.
Charging Embrace is effortless with the magnetic wireless charging pad on the back of the pillow, which easily attaches to the provided charger.
During charging, a circular pulsing glow signals the process. Once the charging session is complete, the light fades, indicating a fully charged pillow.
Daniel sends a hug to his girlfriend Melissa.
Daniel has Embrace on his living room couch.
The left button lights up and Daniel long presses it to send his hug.
Daniel sends a hug to his girlfriend Melissa.
Melissa receives a hug from her boyfriend, Daniel.
Melissa's Embrace pulses with a soft light to let her know she has a hug.
The hug lasts for 5 seconds and then the light fades.
Melissa receives a hug from her boyfriend, Daniel.
