Nature_ Cybernatic

Feedback system between emotion and nature

Public space is not just a physical place for social interaction and exposure to nature, but also a platform for an internal journey, where individuals can explore their emotions and thoughts. 

This project aims to explore the elements/ interventions/ designs that can encourage self-awareness in public spaces. The result is a small scale prototype that connects a galvanic skin response (GSR) sensor with a resonance speaker attached to a basin, resulting in the vibration of the water surface (cymatics) to visualize the user's emotions.

The GSR sensor captures changes in sweat gland activity that reflects the intensity of an individual's emotional arousal. The resonance speaker, which does not have a diaphragm, is intended to break the limitations of traditional speaker's sound effects. Through experimentation with various water containers, we found that hard, thin materials are the best, and the ideal frequency that can show cymatics effects is subject to the container's size, shape, and type.

As GSR sensor numbers depend on many factors, such as emotions, heart rate, and hydration, the result numbers vary from person to person. Normalizing the number to a specific emotional state is impractical. Instead, the project mapped the GSR sensor's numbers to the prototype's working resonance frequency. The result is a spectrum of an individual's emotional changes, which can be observed in the starting pattern and the shift from more waves to calmer water. The prototype was tested on a small scale, but the project can transform into a public installation where the water vibration distorts the sky reflection in different patterns, allowing passersby to interact collectively.

The project sees the relationship between emotion, nature as a cybernetic system where the action and feedback relation run simultaneously. The machine will complete the loop by way of emotions also affecting nature after nature influences our emotions.