The Laser Aura: a prosthesis for emotional expression

We propose a wearable device capable of translating bio-sensed data into cartoon-like graphics projected in the physical surrounding. Such 'expressive Laser Aura' (LA) may serve for biofeed-back purposes; but more interestingly, as the display extends past the wearer's personal space it could complement non-verbal social communication by giving others an instant cue about a person's real inner state. In this preliminary work, we explore a proof-of-principle scenario: the possibility of enhancing empathic behavior at the working place, where people have little or no time to explicitly communicate a need for help, or on the contrary a need for isolation. The subject is sitting at the office desk; the LA (presently non-wearable) is projected on a nearby wall or on the floor. It takes the shape of an halo that changes its behavior as a function of the subject stress level. (The LA is also capable of displaying icons and text messages in an autonomous way, or as prompted by the user.) To measure stress, we first tried the commercial 'Mind Flex' head-worn device (combining simple EEG and EMG data). This proved to be too much dependent on test subjects, so we opted for a simpler strategy consisting on measuring physical restlessness by fitting the chair with an accelerometer. The custom laser projector unit measures about 20x20x10cm. The LA graphic output is inspired from cartoon conventions, paranormal folklore and synesthetic considerations. When the subject is relaxed, the halo is nearly circular, uniform and smooth; restlessness disturbs the aura by introducing dynamic spikes. This mapping seems very intuitive - in our preliminary experiment, casual observers never failed to recognize the intended meaning at first glance. When projected on the floor (either from the back of the chair or, in the future, using a laser projection belt [Wilde et al. 2010]), the LA may represent the limits of the personal space. By enlarging it, the subject can claim personal space and signify a need for isolation; on the contrary, while shrinking (or fading or changing its color) the aura may indicate the user readiness to engage in closer social interaction.