Electronic Garments Sense Emotion

Oct. 12, 2006 — Forget mood rings, it may someday be possible to wear your heart on your sleeve, literally.

Two experimental, sensor-packed garments that respond to a person's mood and environment could, developers hope, represent the future of intuitive electronics.

Related technologies could someday lead to cars that automatically navigate a quiet route when the driver is stressed, or chairs that sense exhaustion and automatically dim the room lights.

Today, the way we interact with electronics is "all reduced to button pressing, and that's an extremely alienating interaction," said Clive van Heerden, senior director at Netherlands-based Philips Design.

"Our life shouldn't be something that just comes on or goes off," he added.

Van Heerden and his team have designed two prototype garments as part of a project named SKIN — inspired by the way human skin reacts naturally to both external and internal stimuli.

The garments are not intended for the commercial market but as a means to explore the idea of intuitive technology.

A body suit called "Frison" is covered in tiny, hair-like sensors that pick up physical stimuli, such as a breeze or contact by another person, and emit twinkling lights in response.

A dress called "Bubelle" (pronounced "bubble") is lined with sensors that monitor physiological changes associated with different emotions and send a signal to lights on the outer layer of the fabric. Stress, arousal, or fear generate a blush of pink light that changes pattern and color based on the intensity of the emotion.

Through these prototypes, Philips Design hopes to mimic the subtle, nonverbal ways humans communicate and transfer that capability to clothes, appliances, cars, computers and more.

"It's an interesting idea to be able to go from a yes or no perspective to something that is more rich in nuances," said Diana Marculescu, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Marculescu thinks such technology could be extended to assisted living situations involving elderly people.

In addition to tracking a person's vital signs, such sensors could monitor the person's mood. Are they feeling depressed? Lonely?

But for sensors to be effective, they need power. Batteries are still fairly heavy compared to the energy that they provide, and their bulk can detract from the aesthetics of a garment.

"There is a fine line between wearing something that is inconspicuous and something that makes you look like a cyborg," said Marculescu.

According to van Heerden, technical challenges such as power supply for the garment have been addressed, but he said it was too early in the project's research to talk about the specific solutions.