Wearable — Dho Yee Chung

DHO YEE CHUNG

Pulse to Light: A Wearable for Emotional Liberation #Arduino #EmotionRegulation #Biofeedback #HeartRateSensor #FiberOptics #Mindfulness #Wearable

Emotional stoicism is a practice of self-control and enduring hardship without outward complaints. This practice is highly valued in Asian cultures, which prioritize collective interpersonal harmony over individualism. Thus, Asians are culturally trained to control their emotions more quickly. For example, research shows that Asians lower their heart rates faster than European Americans, whose culture places a higher value on emotional expression. While it served as a coping mechanism in situations of colonization and brutal poverty, this generational cycle of emotional suppression is toxic for the mental health of Asians today. Suppressing emotions without understanding or managing them can result in diminished memory, interpersonal difficulties, and major mood disorders on a personal level, as well as intergenerational issues due to the lack of communication within the family.

My wearable project, Pulse to Light, is designed to help Asians and individuals with emotional disorders to acknowledge and process their emotions in a healthier and more positive way. The wearable features a biofeedback system that operates in real time, responding adaptively to the wearer’s specific mental conditions and heart rate phases. A heart-rate sensor detects a rising BPM and sends a signal to a wearer to promote awareness of their emotions and bodily reactions. Optic fibers on its surface transmit LED light signals in various rhythms and patterns designed to induce emotional regulation strategies, including emotion detection, cognitive change, and emotional expression. Built-in LED color schemes shift the hues and intensity of light to promote emotional balance and encourage mindful breathing. This project aims to help the wearer comfortably face their emotions and express themselves with confidence.

Problems

Emotion Control among Asians
Asians who strongly endorsed emotion-control values showed autonomic response patterns associated with effort and challenge during anger provocation.
Cultural Training and Emotional Reactivity
Long-term cultural training that discourages emotional expression can dampen emotional reactivity across multiple biological systems.
Stress and Cardiovascular Risk
Emotional or physical stress increases heart rate, blood pressure, and stress hormones, raising cardiac workload and potentially triggering serious cardiovascular events.
Physiological Risk
Stress-related incoherence in physiological activity leads to inefficient bodily functioning and energy depletion.

Solutions

Emotion Regulation Strategy
Choosing the appropriate emotion regulation strategy can support regulatory flexibility and well-being.
Practice of Breathing Pattern
Slow, regular breathing can induce coherent heart rhythms and reduce stress.
Emotions and Heart Rhythm
Shifting from negative to positive emotions can immediately transform heart rhythms from erratic patterns to coherent, harmonious waves.
Benefits of Chromotherapy
Chromotherapy may help and affect human psychological functioning.
Music tempo & Emotional State
Music tempo influences emotion. Faster tempos increase positive valence, and medium tempos produce a calmer emotional state.

Flowchart

Wearable Structure

Process

Critical Inquiry

→ The Veils of Asian Women
→ Black Rain White Light
→ Mirror Mirror
→ The Digitalization of the Creative Market

Biometrics / Emotions / Sensory

→ Pulse to Light
→ Graphic Language for Emotion-Based Interface
→ Sensitive Surface

Enhanced User Experience

→ Gesture as Inclusive Interface
→ Natural Sound Mixer