AWElectric

Inspired by the phrase, That gave me goosebumps. Did you feel it too? The AWElectric is a duet design that animates the emotionally charged goosebumps, amplifies them, and shares the thrill.

The AWElectric animates awe – the subtle mix of fear and wonder that gives the chills, the shutters up your spine that provoke emotionally based goosebumps called frisson. This feeling is often achieved from vast views of nature, music, or the Ah-ha moment.

AWElectric is bioresponsive animatronic fashion that exhibits extimacy – externalized intimacy. These wearable soft robotic designs are composed of embedded fabrics with visual and tactile displays.A series of biosensors visualizes breathing with a pulsing illumination. When awe is detected, 3d print Goosebump Fractal, pneumatic fabric inflates and flickers to animate the feeling. Then, AudioTactile, conductive embroidered “speaker” fabric plays the frequency to evoke goosebumps in the partner design as it tickles the skin to make hair stand on end. Share the thrill!

AWElectric is bioresponsive animatronic fashion that exhibits extimacy – externalized intimacy – as embedded fabrics show biometrics of frisson with illuminated and inflatable displays.

Goosebump Fractals
SENSOREE has developed a new technique of 3d print fabric showcased by the AWElectric design. Inspired by the human body that requires connective tissue betweens the bones, we have created this fabric with joint material between the 3d prints. The fabric mimics our articulations, movements, and expressions.

The hexagon construction of the Goosebump Fractals are digital representations of skin cells, inspired by Buckminster Fuller’s Geodesic domes and the machine gesture of polygons. The 3d print design covers a silicone inflatable and expands with the emotional peak. The inflation opens the hexagon spike into 6 triangles to animate the hair follicles.

The AudioTactile fabric is a set of conductive embroidered speakers that plays the frequency of goosebumps to tickle the skin and evoke the sensation of excitement.

AWE
A recent study at UC Berkeley associates good health with the feeling of Awe and goosebumps. That goose-bumpy mix of fear and wonder appears to be particularly good for the body.  AWElectric enhances healthy awe in the wearer and shares with another. It is reported that 40% of the population does not feel this sensation, so this interaction has the potential to teach new behaviors.