SLAVI KALOFEROV

User Experience Researcher

Next Build Iteration of the Wearable Prototype

Body Heatmaps/ Mapping

As suggested by Romit, we did a Body mapping exercise where we explored where the body is most sensitive to vibrations.

Romit testing sensitivity of vibration on a participant.
Participant filling in body maps.

Exploring the most sensitive spots on my head.

Collected data from body mapping exercise. Red areas – most sensitive to vibration, yellow – little, no colour – almost none.

Findings

Overall, the patterns emerged quickly and centred around the areas which are considered intimate/ vulnerable such as the neck and the back. This also overlaps with the areas where there is little body fat so that contact with the bone is a medium for vibration to spread.

Participants

4 (including ourselves).

Despite the limited number and random sample, these are qualities of clinically healthy average humans which in my opinion is sufficient for the research.

Reflection

Prototype Version 3

After discussing and considering belts for wireframes for wearable and consulting with a fashion designer, we realised that neither this nor very soft material is easy to work with and the vibration would be spread.

As a suggested solution, we decided to go with “plates” of fabrics and to see how we could streamline the prototype by implementing the insights from the body mapping exercise.

Cutting fabric for the next iteration of our wearable prototype. Photo credit: Romit Khurd.
Strengthening the connections of the plates of the wearables. Photo credit: Cyrus Han.
Trying the prototype on me. Photo credit: Romit Khurd.
Doing minor adjustments to the straps of the wearable prototype. Photo credit: Cyrus Han.
Attaching the Arduino circuit to the wearable.
Vibration motors are positioned on the plates on the sensitive body areas.
Vibrating components and Arduino integrated into the wearable.
Front view of the wearable with the Arduino and micro vibrating components.
Third iteration of the wearable prototype – front side on a mannequin.
Third iteration of the wearable prototype – front back on the mannequin.
Third iteration of the wearable prototype – side on the mannequin.
Testing the fit and vibrations on the third iteration of our wearable prototype – front. Photo credit: Romit Khurd.
Testing the fit and vibrations on the third iteration of our wearable prototype – back. Photo credit: Romit Khurd.

Testing

Goal

Primary: Understand if people sense the vibrations through their clothes.
Secondary: What possible applications do they see for our wearable prototype.

4 participants.

We loaded up a repeating pattern of vibrations on the prototype and gave it to our participants to wear.

Findings

I was very excited to hear that all the participants agreed that they could sense the vibrations through their clothes, some of them thick fabric, and expressed that they were just strong enough not to be counted as annoying.

We discovered a richness of suggestions that aligned with our secondary research:

  • safety purposes
  • navigation within the city
  • more

Limitations

  • Our participants were not our target audience.
  • We did not test outside where the prototype is supposed to “live”
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